Just popped up I my lil news dohicky.

Sounds like the mink are doing a good thing.

No predators? These birds are eating something. What about fox?

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/britains-birds-prey-country-life-guide-uks-raptors-151276

If that lure is so effective why are U.S. trappers not buying it by the gallon? Mink are sneaky devils. Feel good story IMO to make the natives think their water rats are being saved. Good breeders they are likely getting population decline the same way muskrats are in many parts of the U.S.

Of course it is all government funded or government "volunteers". Heaven forbid we have private citizens doing it for fun or profit.

Mink are such cool creatures. To consider them an invasive species is ridiculous. If mink are categorized an invasive species there, then here in MN our invasive species are wolves.

If they are not native then imo they are invasive. Year round trapping can and has exterpated populations all over the world. I don't think it's the fact the lure is so great but it's the traps are wired to sensors that alert the trapper so they don't need to constantly check empty traps and can let them sit as long as necessary to catch the mink. Sounds like a good program to help their native fauna. Wonder if it's at all cost effective.

They aren't wild mink..they are ranch mink. They are very different from our mink and probably easier to catch.
I find it hard to believe true wild mink could be totally exterminated.

Parts of Europe have wild American mink and they are invasive there. They also have a European wild mink. I do not know if they have the wild American mink in the UK or not.

Ton of money well spent Imagine they didn't catch all that many and concluded that by not catching any it was a resounding success No natural predators makes me wonder what natural diversity they believe in But its nice they spent time and money studying the renowned water vole i would hate to think anyone would encourage the public taking surplus animals for selling purposes when taxpayer's dollars are available

I’m sorry but I’m cracking up at that initial picture.

Mink have been pen raised since about 1900. That makes about 125 generations, not enough time to breed out the wild traits. Look how many generations of domesticated dogs we have, probably 5000 or more and they still go wild if the opportunity affords them.

I used to raise a few mink and I'm positive none would survive in the wild. The first predator or bad storm would kill them if they didn't starve to death first. I had a few that died just from being spooked when they noticed I was there. Their nothing like wild mink.

Obviously they did not die when they got loose in England. Back in the 1970'sand 1980's State trappers association fur sales often had wild caught ranch mink pelts brought in by trappers.