Don't Bomb Montecristo Island With Toxic Pellets
- by: Judith B.
- recipient: Corrado Clini, Ministro dell'Ambiente, Italy
The Italian government is planning to airdrop 26 tons of brodifacoum rat pellets on Montecristo. The island is a nature reserve currently experiencing problems with accidentally introduced rats, which pose a threat to its wildlife.
However, brodifacoum is a notorious poison, lethal to fish, birds and invertebrates. Dropping tons of the stuff on the island could wreck its land and ocean ecosystems, killing the very wildlife the authorities are trying to preserve.
Rat eradication efforts on islands elsewhere have involved safer baits, not to mention proper environmental impact assessments. Tell the environment minister to stop these potentially disastrous plans. Rat eradication might be necessary but it must be done properly.
We the undersigned ask that you halt plans to drop rat poison on Montecristo without a proper impact assessment. While it is true that black rats are causing problems on the island, the plans as they stand could seriously endanger the island's wildlife themselves.
Of particular concern is the choice of poison. Brodifacoum is toxic not just to rats, other mammals and birds, but also to marine wildlife, including fish. Other baits, used successfully for rat eradication elsewhere, are safer.
While eradicating rats might be necessary, it must be done properly. We ask that you do not go ahead until the impact and damage mitigation is fully evaluated.
