Top image: The LIFE Raft Fieldwork Team before they head out on day one of putting bait down
Blog by Michael Rafferty, LIFE Raft Eradication Delivery Manager
There’s a feeling of déjà vu on Rathlin Island this morning. Almost exactly a year ago, we activated phase one of the LIFE Raft project by opening the ferret traps. And now here we are, officially kicking off phase two of this ambitious island-wide effort. The next six months and beyond will determine the success of this project, and what it means for Rathlin’s people, wildlife, livestock, and economy.
Reflecting on ferrets
The ferret phase of the project was a world-first, filled with unknowns. No one has successfully eradicated feral ferrets before, but it was the only option left for the island. Both ferrets and rats are invasive non-native species on Rathlin, and they had come to prey on Rathlin Island’s seabirds, including Northern Ireland’s largest group of Puffins. Between 1985 and 2021, the Puffin population crashed by 83%.
Ferrets were also making it nearly impossible for Rathlin residents to keep poultry on island, and rats were damaging property by doing what rats do best – chewing. On everything from car cables, to flooring, to lobster pots.
Given that nobody has eradicated feral ferrets before, we had to trial new techniques, make bespoke equipment, and train a dedicated team to set up traps every 250 meters across the island. It was a mammoth effort, but we haven’t had a verified ferret sighting since November 2023, and in Spring 2025 we hope to announce the world’s first successful feral ferret eradication.
Phase Two: An even bigger challenge
If the ferret phase was a major undertaking, this next phase is even more so. We had about 600 traps out at the peak of the ferret phase – we now have over 6,500 bait stations. And each of them needs to be checked once a week until the end of March 2025. We’ve also had to hand-saw all of those 6,500 bait stations, remove tonnes and tonnes of harbourage from the island (including 997 tyres), melt two tonnes of wax to produce 28,000 monitoring blocks, and drill 6km of steel cable into the cliffs to ensure climbers can access even the most remote areas of the island.
A selection of images from the last few months on LIFE Raft – placing bait stations around the coasts, plateaus, and cliffs, removing rat harbourage, and making thousands of bait stations and wax blocks (big thanks to our volunteer groups!)
A whole-island effort
The Rathlin community has been critical in making this phase possible. They’ve opened their homes, gardens, sheds, and outbuildings, allowing us to place bait in residential spaces. Most homes on Rathlin have little or no problem with rats, but eradications require proof of absence so we have to be systematic and methodical. Residents’ support, knowledge, and advice have been invaluable, and we could not have reached this point without them. Thank you.
Scaling up: Building the team
Placing a bait station every 50m across the entire island, down cliffs, along coasts, and in houses, has been…challenging. To manage it, we needed more hands on deck. In June, we recruited 11 new Field Assistants to the team, followed by 12 residential volunteers in September, with four more set to arrive in November. In total, about 30 people are now living and working on Rathlin for the LIFE Raft project, including seven Rathlin residents. Huge thanks to the Rathlin community for making everybody feel so welcome.
From today, October 21, until the end of March 2025, our fieldwork and community teams will be out every day, checking and rebaiting the stations. If you see bright orange or yellow backpacks, or our distinct yellow, blue, and green woolly hats (knitted by talented resident knitter, Patsy), that’s us at work.
What Success Could Mean for Rathlin’s Wildlife
The next four to six weeks will be the most intense. After that, we may well spend four months looking for rats that are no longer there, and at the end of March the project will begin to wind down. There will be two years of monitoring for the rats, and some staff will continue to work with the community and build biosecurity, but all the bait stations will be removed and most of the LIFE Raft team will be saying goodbye to Rathlin (for now…. Rathlin seems to have a Velcro-like way of sticking with people).
The island won’t look very different to Rathlin’s seabirds when they come back for their next breeding season. But, if all goes to plan, they might be returning to island that is free of rats and ferrets. It will take years, maybe even decades, for us to see the full impact of the project, but other successful island restorations provide show what is possible. On Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, Puffin numbers increased from just 13 individuals to over 1,300 within two decades of rats being gone, and the island now holds 95% of England’s Manx Shearwaters. The tourists even complain that the Shearwaters keep them awake at night.
A Final Thanks
So, here’s to the next big chapter for Rathlin. A tremendous thank you to the community, our partners, and our funders for your support. We’ll continue to post blogs and update our social media channels, so stay tuned for more news.