Invasive species eradication has been shown to have the highest potential for recovery of native species on islands and has played an important role in the recovery of U.S. Fish and wildlife service…

This $423,920 Project Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species (CFDA 15.608) program aims to eradicate invasive black rats from Savana Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The project, led by the non-profit organization Island Conservation in collaboration with local government and federal partners, seeks to create the largest invasive predator-free island in the U.S. Virgin Islands to establish a highly resilient population of the endangered Virgin Islands tree boa. The eradication will involve the targeted application of a specialized rodenticide, followed by a 12-month confirmation period to ensure the successful removal of the invasive rats. The project will also strengthen the island's biosecurity program to prevent future reintroductions. Successful completion of this two-year project will protect critical habitat and support the recovery of the endangered Virgin Islands tree boa.

Invasive species eradication has been shown to have the highest potential for recovery of native species on islands and has played an important role in the recovery of U.S. Fish and wildlife service trust resources, notably in alaska, the pacific, and caribbean islands. This project aims to eradicate invasive black rats from savana island, u.s virgin islands, within two years of the project start date. Island conservation, in collaboration with partners from the u.s virgin islands department of planning and natural resources (dpnr) and the U.S. Department of agriculture-animal plant health inspection service, will eradicate invasive rats from savana, thereby establishing the largest invasive predator-free island in the u.s virgin islands with suitable habitat for establishing a highly resilient endangered virgin islands tree BOA (VI BOA, chilabothrus granti) population. The VI BOA is classified as endangered by the U.S. Fish and wildlife service. The u.s fish and wildlife service caribbean ecological services field office and subject matter experts have identified black rats as one of the main threats to the survival and recovery of the VI BOA. Once the island is free of damaging, invasive rats, a usvi BOA population can be introduced, creating a haven for this unique species. The eradication of invasive rats from savana island will involve the use of a rodenticide that is specially formulated for island eradication projects. The rodenticide will be applied across the island at a specific rate by either a drone or a helicopter. Because biosecurity is so critical to ensuring that project outcomes are sustained (i.e., preventing the reintroduction of rats or new species from being unintentionally introduced to savana island) we will work to strengthen the biosecurity program for savana island through additional training and materials for dpnr. Due to rodent breeding characteristics, IT is recommended that a 12-month period elapses after the eradication before the success of the eradication is evaluated, called eradication confirmation. Confirmation involves deploying a team of specialists to the island to conduct systematic and opportunistic surveys of the island for any signs of rats. Based on this field evidence, the partnership will be in a position to declare the success of the rodent eradication and get to work with partners developing the translocation plan for establishing a population of the endangered VI BOA on savana.