MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
South Georgia completes first phase of reindeer eradication: 1.900 animals
The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSCSSI) has announced the completion of the first phase of the eradication of reindeer from the island of South Georgia. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulespoor rudolf(s), i bet they tastes real good though.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 04:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Think we could get them to eradicte the Malvanistas and Camping it up at the emporium?
Mar 19th, 2013 - 04:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Not too sure about the meat: it would probably taste like rat.
I like not this news!
Mar 19th, 2013 - 05:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Bring me some other news.
I hope they don't shoot Santa.....
Mar 19th, 2013 - 05:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Lets hope the rat poison does not erradicate other species by mistake !!
Mar 19th, 2013 - 06:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 05
Mar 20th, 2013 - 03:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0That's right, wash your hands well after handling rat poison Brit.
Its good to get rid of invasive species, they did it once in the early 80s now its good to eradicate the other invasive species
Mar 20th, 2013 - 03:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0These animals were introduced to the Islands for a useful purpose. They fed the whalers & sealers whilst they were busy. Sadly, man has a habit of neglecting to do something to clear up the mess he leaves behind. If the iron-works had not been left by the whalers, then the Argentine scrap dealer would not have had a reason to import his workers and a bunch of soldiers in 1982, which then sparked off the Falklands War.
Mar 20th, 2013 - 11:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0The rats and mice are a far more pernicious problem for the Islands. They have a habit of finding a way of adapting to the poisons that man leaves to kill them. No matter how much rat bait is dropped from the sky, there will always be some rats that survive & multiply to fill the gap formed by the death of the ones that took the bait. The only true way to balance the ecology is to introduce another predator that keeps the rats & mice at bay. A wild cat capable of surviving the extreme climate. There are a few. The Snow Leopard would be ideal, if it were not an already endangered species. But there maybe other wild cats suited to the role. It may take years for the cats to balance the rat & mice explosion, but they will succeed. The only problem is that the cats may very well take a liking to penguin meat instead. They're big, they're slow (on land) and although their meat is probably a tad fishy, they are a tasty snack for some kitty.
We were lucky that there wasn't a similar problem in the Falklands after the cattle, pigs & sheep were introduced by the French, British & Spanish colonies on the Falklands. Those wild cattle actually provided the boost to the Falklands economy at an early stage of their development & without them, It's doubtful that the whaling & sealing would have continued for long, seeing as the ships that were exploiting the Islands needed to feed their crews.
Man has a way of imbalancing nature, until nature finds a way to fight back and re-establish an equilibrium.
8- actually there is a problem on most of the Falklands with rats - and they have been successfully cleared on a number of small islands to date.
Mar 20th, 2013 - 03:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In South G it also appear to be working as after just one year ground nesting birds have already returned to the areas rat eradicated last year.
There is alot more done to control and monitor rather than just dump out a load of rat bait by helicopter I can assure you.
A bit sad about the reindeer having to go, but they do, as with glaciers retreating fast they would be allover he island in a few years instead of just 2 small areas.
Unlike the Scandanavian ancestors - these ones are all Chernobyl fall out free!
We can do the same with Kelpers !!!
Mar 20th, 2013 - 05:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@10 But we can do the same with argies!!! And the world will thank us.
Mar 20th, 2013 - 06:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@9
Mar 20th, 2013 - 07:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Are there any reindeer on the Falklands? It would be helpful if a few herds were kept, just for the meat, or even to preserve a nuclear-free reindeer.
Are there any other deer herds on the islands?
Venison is great meat & I could imagine that deer hunting/stalking would provide an added business income.
( 9) Islander1
Mar 20th, 2013 - 08:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Guanacos
Foxes
Hares
Rabbits
Trouts
Rats
Mice
Red wigglers
Earwigs
Poms
The list of invasive Species in Malvinas very long...............
Naughty, naughty, Think #13.
Mar 20th, 2013 - 09:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0M'thinks this is called trolling, but we know, in your case, it is just gentle teasing.
Island Biogeography Theory covers both small islands (TFI) and whole invaded continents (S.A.).
Same principles; same outcomes.
S.A. extinctions are massive with the coming of man.
Introductions, both accidental and considered, are an accelerating feature of a world of 'globalised' travel and trade.
11 Conqueror (#) you already stole the Malvinas to Argentina, don't stole my jokes !!! heehhehe :)
Mar 21st, 2013 - 12:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0Personally I really do think that 100% eradication of the Reindeer on South Georgia is nothing less than a knee jerk reaction to what seems to be an over population of the deer in question.It has taken 100 years for these deer to reach what seems to be over populated...I can understand the reasons to “Cull” but NOT to wipe out the whole herd.Why not “cull”(reduce the herd by 50%)and then harvest these animals on a yearly basis?..I'm sure that there is some one in the Falkland Islands who would love the opertunity to market these animals on a commercial scale.In my opinion 100% eradication is like cutting off ones nose to spite ones face.“Cull” then manage the herd.( So many each year)Its cost's not a single penny to raise these animals,and makes sense to harvest on a annual basis.Indeed let some one who is willing to start a hunting lodge etc etc, do just that,you may be suprised at the interest of hunters with the chance to harvest a Sth Gerogia reindeer(Caribou).As a retired commercial fisherman( Captain for 40 years) and avid responsible hunter I have seen so many “Rash” decisions made,only to later regret what has taken place.Not to mention the “Gene Pool” of this herd,these animals have been uncontaminated for at least 100 years,and as we all know no one can predict what may befall the northern herds in the future.( Think about it)There is room on Sth Georgia for the bird life that seems to be the reason for this insane decision,and I see no reason why a smaller herd of reindeer cannot be sustained on the island with “Good” management.As for the rat population my guess would be that they do much more harm to the bird spieces in question than the deer could ever do.Be my guest with regards to the rats and good luck....Capt John G Evans..
Mar 21st, 2013 - 10:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@16
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 12:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0What you say Capt makes good sense.
All too often, you don't know you have a good thing until you've lost it for good. For example, the Yanks were idiots to dismantle Saddam's army when it was the only thing that could hold back the Iranians. It was only after they scrapped the army, that they realised that half the insurgents were disgruntled ex Iraqi army trying to get their own back on the Yanks. At the time, the Americans thought they were better off without any Ba'ath party members in charge, but the army was the only group capable of keeping the country from falling into the abyss. As a result, the Americans spent far longer trying to get Iraq back on its feet and lost thousands of troops killed in the process.
There has to be some value in retaining a herd in South Georgia or the Falklands, so that they can keep the gene pool available should the Scandinavian reindeer suffer from the radiation. It's just been reported that there are more frequent birth defects in the Basra area of Iraq. Some of this maybe due to the depleted uranium used in munitions.
Another reminder is that the North American bison nearly died out altogether through over-hunting. Thankfully, herds were transported to wildlife parks and in that protected environment bred prolifically. Some are now being sent back to ensure that the American gene pool is healthy.
That's not all the Przewalski's horse died out in the wild completely. Thankfully, the London zoo managed to capture some around 1900 and managed a herd at Whipsnade. They were re-introduced into the wild and there are now 1,500 roaming freely in Mongolia. All descended from the 15 horses that came to Britain.
At the very least, they should consider keeping one or two herds, just in case they have to repopulate Lapland or Canada.
Talking of Bison....Here in British Columbia we are still able to hunt them because of “good” and intelligent management...In the north of this province there are so many “Tags” made available every hunting season.One has to enter a “draw/lottery” in order to obtain a “Tag”to be able to hunt Bison.The system works very well and everyone seems to play by the rules.There is also a similar program in the “ NW Territories”..Our natives however dont have to enter the “draw” and are allowed to take Bison for personal use.Again the system seems to work very well.At the end of the day it all comes down to good management,and please dont anyone tell me that “good” management of the South Georgia reindeer herds is out of the question..!
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 01:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0(16) El Capitano
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 05:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Once in a while, here at MercoPress, someone makes a remarkable intelligent comment.
You just did.....
But.....
There is no place for sensible, intelligent resource management of that kind in South Georgia.
Them Islands in the South Atlantic has been selected as a showroom for Grandiose British Environmental World Policy.
And that Grandiose British Environmental World Policy is a convenient cover for their Colonial Ambitions in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.
No place for silly things like hunters and common sense in a Master Plan like that……
#9 How do you distribute the rat poison,all over the Island, in such a way that the wildlife cannot eat it by mistake ?
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 05:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Think,
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 06:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have explained to you before that tiny islands require different tactics for maintaining a desired species mix when compared to, in this case, British Colombia (944,000 sq. km.).
Yes, there is no place for a hunter-conservation strategy on South Georgia; at least you got that bit right.
(21) GeoffWard2
Mar 22nd, 2013 - 06:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You say...:
“I have explained to you before that tiny islands ....”
I say
Tiny Islands?
Tiny???
South Georgia is about the size of Essex for god sake you........ Englishman!
Think we all understand your impulsion to troll. You were correct in your praise of El Capitano but then for some unknown reason you had to go on some insane rant about some “Grandiose British Environmental World Policy”.
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 03:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0There is a tendency to try and return environments to a pre-human state. However this is a misguided endeavour as nature is not stable and nor is it unaffected by change.
The British do not have some “World Policy”, however they recognise that the islands do have a unique biosphere and that an animal introduced as a food source is harming that biosphere as there are no natural predators to keep the numbers under control and from spreading.
Which species are in danger of extinction? Some more than others? The reindeer? Or plant or bird species endemic to only these islands?
Rats were eradiacted from Campbell Island by New Zealand. Perhaps they are not as cute as reindeer so New Zealand wasn't part of some conspiracy.
Hawadax Island in the US - same thing.
Lord Howe Island in Australia - same thing though still to be completed.
The reindeer do the same amount of damage as rats.
And the islands are indeed tiny. The city I live in is more than twice the size of the islands in that territory.
The UK is under no obligation to spend the money to do this and there is no local constituency clamouring for this eradication, and yet it is still being done during a British recession.
I don't see Argentina kicking in any funds or aid to help on land they (without any legal or historical basis) claim.
“19 Think”..I have followed your insane post's for some time...and for the record...“When I want to listen to an ass hole,I'll fart”....OK..??..As for the post's in favour of this total eradication,I say “Wrong”...Reduce this herd to a manageable size and “Harvest” it every year...What you guys dont seem to take into consideration is the fact that it has taken 100 years for the herd to reach its present strength.However the most important thing about this herd is that it is an “uncontaminated” gene pool...Destroy it and I can guarantee that within 10 years this incredibly stupid act will be regretted.As for the deer doing as much damage to the bird population as the rats...?“Stupid”...There is room for for both birds and deer on Sth Georgia,and no reason whatever that both cannot exist side by side with good management...!!
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 06:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0#13
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 10:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0You forgot to add Argies to your list - eradicated in 1982
Think, thread #19, 21, 22,
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 01:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0sorry to keep picking your scab, but you self-harmed with your smart comment ...
South Georgia (and Essex!) is 0.4% of the area of British Colombia.
B.C. (and Essex!) have contiguity with larger landmasses for invasions/re-populations etc.
Islands have isolation issues and (like emos) are much more sensitive!
(26) GeoffWard2
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 05:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 01) Sorry to keep picking your scab, but it is British Col(u)mbia.
2) Sorry to keep picking your scab, but unpolite El Capitano is still right and you are still wrong......
You're learning, Think; but still got to learn to admit it when *your* argument collapses.
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 07:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Humility maketh the man, and all that ;-)
(28) GeoffWard2
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 08:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Its not “my” Argument...... it's El Capitano's
And his argument doesn't collapse.
On the contrary, it gets better everytime I “Think” about it.
I am a humble man, Mr. Geoffward2....
I don't recall having ever bragged over anything on these pages...
Unlike others in here..........;-)
I just happen to dislike Turnips............., specially ignorant turnips.
Think,
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 09:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Guanaco and Foxes are only on Islands where sheepfarming is no longer viable nor wanted by the landowners so albeit invasives - are not a problem and are confined.
Hares- are they an incomer?- again not a threat and only on the main East Falkland as far as I know.
Rabbits - a few and luckily so far no sign of spreading - but ye s I would be happier if there were none!
Trout - a good Tourism money earner same as in your neck of the wodds! We have some streams protected just for the native little Zebra trout though.
Rats - currently a programme of eradication from smaller islands is in progress and ongoing. Same with mice at same time but they are less troublesome as well.
Red Wigglers? - havent heard of them?
Earwigs - agree and a serious problem in some places but as yet confined to Stanley and some farmhouses. Plan for biological control currently being studied and worked up.
Poms - yes and Argentines - Chileans - Peruvians - Uruguyans- Brazillians - you name them!
Same as about 30 million of your 40 million human inhabitants - we are all invasives in South America and surrounding Islands apart from the few remaining idigenous folks.
GeoffWard2 is right that islands have different issues than a large province such as BC would have. The reindeer are causing massive environmental damage to vegetation and causing erosion and aiding in the flourishing of introduced plant species. Also the government wants to begin a rat extermination programme but is unable to until the estimated 4,000 reindeer are removed.
Mar 23rd, 2013 - 09:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Only 22 reindeer were introduced and their numbers have been unchecked since the mid 1960s.
Norway published a great report that is available on the GSGSSI site. Here's the link (careful 4mb):
http://www.sgisland.gs/download/SNO%20Report%202012-1a.pdf
10 hipolyte (#) We can do the same with Kelpers !!!
Mar 24th, 2013 - 09:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0That is like the pot calling the kettle black. Was it not your lot who were the invasive species in South America.
Is it not your lot who are being invasive to our human rights.
Is it not your lot who are now starting to eradicate your own society through success governments of dictators.
Is it not your lot who have overpopulated your Country with Rats of the Human kind.
Is it not true that you thrive on extermination
What has your Country got going so good that would convince me to accept you as my leader. The answer nothing.
The one satisfaction though is knowing that just like most other dictators they eventually fall and one day a new better Argentina will emerge . One that will accept us for who we are.
Until then we only have to sit on the sidelines and watch you slowly eradicate your Country of it’s potential wealth and society.
#32 Kelper
Mar 24th, 2013 - 12:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The oil, the gas, the mine-able metallics and non-metallics will still remain in the ground ready for exploitation by a government and industry able to come together and do it harmoniously and profitably.
In the absence of such agreements and practices, society will degenerate but erradications will be of the poor and not as policy.
Argentina is putting out “STAY AWAY” messages, so society will have to survive internally ........ a bit like Syria is working out for itself.
Anglotino/Islander/Think
The UK is quite knowledgable about 'small island' issues (being a set of small islands).
I have been, in some small part, involved with a couple of PhDs:
one on the Scottish Summer Isles and its history of zoo/bot community changes since the Tertiary water-level changes altered islands' size, number and contiguities,
the other on the expansion of deer populations across Southern England (focussed on close scrutiny of the breeding rates of the Knebworth Park muntjac populations).
UEA have, in 2013, recommended a cull of most deer spp across the UK, based on their Thetford Forest detailed investigations and their damage to forest regeneration (highest deer densities since the 'Ice Age' sic.).
The badger cull is back on the UK agenda (30 years of research and 40 years of government 'sensitivity') to protect cattle from bovine TB via control of the badger 'TB reservoir'.
Otter and beaver re-introductions have been 'successful',
and re-introduction of the European Wolf to control the Rhum red deer pops. is still on the table.
... and urban foxes still attack babies in their cots .... (''Exterminate the vermin' says the Sun').
Yup, the UK knows about vermin, how they expand, and how to control them. They won't get too much wrong.
@33
Mar 24th, 2013 - 04:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Interesting that you mention the muntjac, because this population is virtually out of control. My sister lives in Letchworth, right next door to the common. The muntjac have become so populous that they have little or no fear of humans, they walk up and down the roads, impeding traffic & eat all the flowers & border plants in gardens. They are truly approaching pest levels & will need culling soon or they will cause several serious road accidents.
Hertfordshire get's it name (& county symbol) from the Hert (Hart) & was the favoured hunting ground of Henry VIII, primarily because the deer were so much larger, so the hunting was better & he was far enough away from his palace that he could enjoy the ladies without the Queen finding out.
There are a number of pests in the UK that need culling or management. Many of them were brought in as a novelty pet, such as the Muntjac or the Glis Glis, but are now out of control. As for the badgers, I'm not so certain that culling is the answer. The farmers say it is, but they are looking are protecting their herds & their wallets. What we can be sure of though, is that if food prices get high, then there is temptation to cheat, to make a profit, hence the horse meat scandal. It's important to ensure that farmers can produce good quality food cheaply or the British public suffers as a result.
They may need to relax the rules about taking/culling the deer. When you have so many people living in poverty, there is tremendous temptation to poach. I've noticed that the number of wild ducks & geese are dropping. Could be that they are providing welcome meals for the poor.
Surely a well managed herd of reindeer would not overwhelm the bird population? Isn't it in the best interests of South Georgia inhabitants to have access to healthy reindeer meat?
Nice comments, Nigel.
Mar 24th, 2013 - 06:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I used to be on the Management Board of the Herts & Middx Trust For Nature Conservation so every sq. km. is (was) pretty well known!
Re. S.G. pop. having reindeer meat ...
Human pop. = 30-40, variable & seasonal
Reindeer pop = 5,000 = lots of meat! But at least there is lots of local refrigeration ;-)
@35 Geoff
Mar 24th, 2013 - 09:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I had to giggle at the comment about refrigeration.
I would agree that 5,000 is way too much for such a small visiting population. But that doesn't mean that hunting trips cannot be arranged for wealthy American hunters, who would pay big bucks to shoot big Bucks!
Seems to me that the management of the deer can be a profitable enterprise that not only provides great sport, but subsidises the operations of the 30 or 40 so visiting scientists. What a great job, as warden/gamekeeper for the Islands, to ensure that the reindeer are healthy and productive.
Hi Nigel.
Mar 25th, 2013 - 11:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0I'm not averse to shooting.
A warden's cull takes out the weak and sub-optimal specimens - keeping a good gene-pool,
but sport hunting tends to take out the 'best' ... in Scotland this means the stags with the most points on their antlers - a mark of fitness-to-breed.
Don't think the US Great White Hunters would come to blast the other local plague, but you never know, marketing's a great thing ;-)
@37
Mar 25th, 2013 - 01:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Funny you should say that Geoff. I do know a hunter who hunts pests. Mostly squirrels, ground pests, pigeons, sparrows & starlings. He uses a high powered air rifle with incredible accuracy. Mind you, he does it to keep the pests down on the farm.
As for hunters, yes I agree, they tend to go for the biggest and the best, the trophies. However, if you told them that they were part of land management and they need to pick off the weak, sick and those marked for meat, then that would deliver a different challenge.
There are a few hunting firms on-line in America. There are also firms that do big game hunting safaris in Africa. Some of those are simply animals held in paddock areas, or even tethered for the inept hunter. This sort of hunting ought to be marketed with a reputable firm as a challenge. Even to provide a source of venison to take home to the States.
I'm sure that the culls could be arranged and sold as a sport hunting package, to bring revenue to South Georgia.
37 GeoffWard2 / 38 nigelpwsmith
Mar 25th, 2013 - 09:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have been out hunting deer with a rifle in America. Never again.
The charge of the light brigade has nothing on it.
I would not recommend sport hunting packages unless the ghillie carries out a shooting / safety test and has the authority to refuse the shooter on the grounds of lack of gun safety.
The British Deer Society insists their members pass a formal theory and practical firearm safety course. I know that for a fact because I helped set the system up and edited the BDS Field Shooting Book for them before it was published.
Unless BDS Members pass the course they are not allowed to go out on their own on BDS ground or on Forestry Commission land.
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