Petite Terre Rat Eradication

Facilitated by: Anthony Levesque, Levesque Birding Enterprise & Eric Delcroix, Association Titè

anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr & ericdelcroix.rnpt@gmail.com

Purpose: To share information on the problem of invasive rats on the Petite Terre Nature Reserve, Guadeloupe, and develop the best strategy for eliminating the rats, based on experience and advice from the participants.

Background: The Petite Terre Nature Reserve was created in September 1998 by ministerial decree. It is located 9 km southeast of Pointe des Châteaux and consists of two islets (Terre de Haut and Terre de Bas) for a total land area of ​​148 hectares. At Petite Terre, Rattus rattus are problematic for nesting birds because of their abundance. We wish to benefit from the knowledge of the participants and their experience in order to develop the best strategy to eliminate all the rats present on the islets.

Objectives: The objective of this workshop is to bring together people from the Caribbean and/or beyond, with experience or a strong interest in eliminating introduced invasive species in an island environment to discuss best practices for removing invasive rats and assist with developing a plan to remove the rats on the Petite Terre Nature Reserve.

Session Structure: The workshop will be divided into three parts. The first part will be dedicated to an overview presentation by Anthony Levesque following by short oral presentations on the issues. The second part will be an open discussion with participants sharing their knowledge and experiences in removal of invasive rats from islands. The final part will be dedicated to developing the best strategy to make the islands rat-free, thereby enhancing their value for our native nesting birds and other resident biodiversity.