The Norfolk Rivers Trust has been awarded £229,200 from the government's £80 million #GreenRecoveryChallengeFund, for its project entitled "Restoring Biodiversity".
The Trust has ambitious plans to rescue East Anglia's native wildlife from the devastating impacts of American mink. It will lay the foundations for complete eradication of this invasive non-native mammal, firstly in Eastern England and then, potentially, across the country.
The American mink, Neovison vison, was introduced to the UK in the 1920s for fur farming. By 2002, when farming was banned, mink had become established in the wild throughout most of England, Wales, and Scotland. American mink threaten native bird and mammal populations and are consequently considered an "invasive" non-native species.
In Britain, populations of the water vole, Arvicola amphibus, a priority species under the Biodiversity Action Plan, are often wiped out by mink, and the vole species has declined by 96% since 1950 due to mink predation. Neovison vison also threatens our native European mink (Mustela lutreola) with extinction.
The UK government is obligated to eradicate the American mink, under the Bern Convention, wherever it is possible to do so. However, smart traps fitted with electronic sensors are used to humanely trap mink, free of negative environmental impacts.
Green Recovery Challenge Fund
The government's £80 Green Recovery Challenge Fund is kick-starting a pipeline of of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change, and connect people with the natural environment. Funding is being distributed on behalf of Defra by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Following the success of the first round of funding, the government has confirmed it will double the size of the fund by making an additional £40m investment in 2021.
To coincide with the new funding, Defra outlined its plans for helping to protect 30% of land in England, as per the UN’s Leaders Pledge for Nature. Some 26% of land in England is already covered by National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected statuses.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said:
Britain’s iconic landscapes are part of the fabric of our national identity – sustaining our communities, driving local economies and inspiring people across the ages. That's why, with the natural world under threat, it's more important than ever that we act now to enhance our natural environment and protect our precious wildlife and biodiversity.
Broadland MP Jerome Mayhew added:
Congratulations to Norfolk Rivers Trust on receiving this funding. This is an opportunity to pilot a project which may, in time, lead the way in how we deal with this invasive species across the UK. I am delighted that East Anglia will be the first to benefit both from this funding and the expertise of those involved in delivering the project.
