Experts say Orkney could be stoat-free by 2030

Orkney’s world-leading project to save native wildlife is reaching the final phase. We've knocked down invasive widespread stoat activity across the Orkney mainland and pushed them into pockets of preferred habitat. Now we're preparing to remove the final stoats from the island. With our current methodology and catch-rate, we're on track to complete work within five years.

To achieve total eradication by 2030, we've created a five-year roadmap which consists of three more years of eradication, and a two-year monitoring period – to ensure Orkney is truly free of stoats.

The plan has been built with collaboration and approval from our technical advisory group – a panel of international eradication experts. They've been closely tracking the project since it began, comparing our progress and techniques to other ambitious undertakings around the world.

We will continue to increase the intensity of our trapping methods across the Orkney mainland and linked isles. With less abundant stoat activity, we're focusing our resources into tackling priority areas. Combining information from reported stoat sightings, dog searches, and monitoring equipment, we're creating a smarter network of traps that put more pressure on the shrinking stoat population.

Once we shrink the high-density pockets of stoat populations, we can place more resources into removing the final stoats from Orkney. We're on track to reach this target by January 2026. We will roll out rapid responses to reported stoat sightings - including intense trapping methods, dog searches, and monitoring tools. Our zero-tolerance to the invasive predator will tighten as we squeeze out the final stoats in Orkney. Our modelling and expert analysis gives us confidence that Orkney can be completely stoat-free by the 31st of December 2026.

It's international best practice for island eradication projects to have a post eradication two-year monitoring period. This will confirm and give confidence that Orkney is stoat-free. As we shift into this biosecurity phase, we will continue to investigate any signs of possible stoat activity with dog searches and monitoring tools. We will also implement a plan to prevent a re-invasion of stoats in Orkney.