Our Conservation Work

The threats facing the wildlife of Gough Island cannot be overestimated, but they are being tackled. The Tristan da Cunha Conservation Department is working with the RSPB to eradicate both Sagina and House Mice from the Island. Each year a team of Field Assistants accompanies the team manning the South African Weather Station on the island to undertake research and conservation work. This year, we are lucky enough to be that team and we hope to continue the work to the highest possible standard.

House Mice Eradication Programme

An ambitious but achievable project is being planned to completely eradicate House Mice from Gough, hopefully by 2022. This project faces many challenges, not least the logistical problems created by such a remote island, and the difficult terrain found here. However, similar eradication programmes have been successfully carried out on many other islands, and with careful planning Gough should be mouse-free within a few short years. This will reverse the fortunes of the seabirds breeding here, and should allow many more pairs to breed successfully. Over time it is hoped that populations will increase to sustainable numbers as more chicks are able to fledge and in time return to Gough to breed themselves.

Follow the link for more information:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/whatwedo/projects/details/419512-gough-island-restoration-programme

Sagina Procumbens Eradication Programme

Sagina was first discovered on Gough in 1998, and efforts to eradicate it have been ongoing since 2002. It has been restricted to a 400m stretch of coastline around the Weather Station, and this year we will continue to tackle it in the hope of further reducing its grasp here. Many methods have been tested, and spot-spraying herbicide in affected areas has been found to be the most effective and environmentally friendly. The affected area is divided into zones, and we visit each zone several times throughout the year to spot-spray individual plants and to monitor the distribution of the species.

Another aspect of this project is to prevent Sagina or other invasive species reaching Gough in the future. Because of this, very few people are allowed to visit and those who are will be given a long list of rules to abide by. All clothes and equipment must be washed and inspected before arriving, to ensure non-native seeds are not brought onto the island. Separate clothing and equipment are used in areas where Sagina is found than across the rest of the island in an effort to prevent it spreading further. Any visitor to Gough will also have to forego fresh fruit and vegetables for their entire visit, as they can be a vehicle for invasive insects.

So far, this project has been successful in restricting the distribution of Sagina to a small stretch of coastline and preventing its spread to other areas of the island. With continuing efforts, hopefully Sagina will be removed completely in the years to come.