In a significant win for the conservation of threatened turtles and seabirds, North West Island has been declared rat-free following an intensive ground and aerial eradication program.
The invasive black rats were reported to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) in November 2022 by diligent campground hosts.
Following the reports, rangers deployed remote cameras and Black Trakka ink monitoring stations which confirmed that black rats had spread throughout the island.
Black rats are a serious environmental risk on isolated islands as a single breeding pair can create a population in the thousands inside a year.
The pests are omnivorous, and will eat seabirds, their eggs and chicks, vegetation and turtle eggs and hatchlings.
Due to North West Island's exceptional environmental values, the eradication project became a key priority for QPWS and the Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers.
Senior Ranger Damon Shearer said the rats were most likely stowaways on boats or in camping equipment that visitors brought to the island.
"The November 2022 confirmation that black rats had spread around the island was disappointing, because mice were declared as eradicated from the island just three months earlier," Ranger Shearer said.
"Due to the size of the island, dropping aerial baits by helicopter was the most effective form of treatment, but we used bait stations and trapping to reduce the impacts on seabirds and turtles.
"The eradication program took 18 months, and the team frequently altered our tactics and adapted to the rats' changing behaviour.
"After the eradication program was finished, we used remote cameras and Black Trakka traps to monitor for rats.
"Twelve months of intensive monitoring has shown no evidence of black rats, and rangers and Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers are proud of the hard work that went into protecting the island.
"As the school holidays approach, we're asking visitors to North West Island to check all equipment for rats and mice before departure and to arrive at the island pest-free."
This project was delivered by the Reef Authority and QPWS through the Reef Joint Field Management Program. It was funded through the Australian Government's Reef Trust by Australia Pacific LNG, QGC and Santos GLNG.
Feral animals can be reported to the department by calling 13 74 68 (13 QGOV).
North West Island is a significant seabird and turtle rookery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. It is situated in the Capricornia Cays National Park and lies 75 kilometres north-east of Gladstone.
