While furbearers can be a valuable natural resource, they can also cause serious ecological problems when their population levels are uncontrolled. For example, we simply have to look at places like Massachusetts and Washington state, where laws prohibiting trapping have resulted in overpopulation and animal damage problems from multiple furbearers.
Ecological problems also arise when furbearers are introduced into areas outside of their native range. The newly introduced species and the natural environment it is placed in are often not compatible and a major ecosystem imbalance can often arise.
In a recent case of ecosystem imbalance with a furbearer population, trappers in Ireland have been commissioned to trap and kill thousands of American mink that are causing havoc with bird and fish populations.
Mink are not native to Ireland, but have been inadvertently introduced via escapes from fur farms in the country. Since their establishment in the wild, mink have taken on a predatory role in a place where populations of fish and bird species are not used to such predation. So to help minimize the negative impacts mink are causing to the country’s environment, this huge trapping effort is underway.
More than 33,000 mink which originally escaped from fur farms have colonised much of Ireland, a new report shows.
Three full-time trappers have now been engaged by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to catch the mink in riverside traps and to kill them before they can wipe out rare birds.
Luckily, trapping can help play a role in restoring ecosystem balance in places like these.
I caught a grey mink in my trap the other day, i was just wondering has anyone come across many of them.
kieran hows things are u sure it was not a stoat
Im not to bad. ya im sure it wasnt it was the same sizes as a mink and had the same screech as one so im sure it was.
whats the best bait to use when trapping mink in ireland?
looking for mink have a few traps any places near dublin kildare area will travel have been trying on and off for years any advice appreciated
hi i am interested in getting to mink trapping but not sure how to go about it all help will be welcomed.im in kerry near cork kerry border .