Island biosecurity operations to remove invasive predators and restore native wildlife use trapping and poisoning methods that create welfare considerations for both target and non-target species.
Island predator eradication programmes deliver some of the most dramatic conservation outcomes available, with seabird colonies recovering rapidly after predator removal. However, the methods used — particularly aerial poison drops and trap arrays — cause welfare harm both to target invasive species and to non-target native wildlife. Welfare-positive island biosecurity uses the most targeted and humane available methods, monitors for non-target impacts, deploys mitigation measures for at-risk native species, and chooses poison types based on both efficacy and welfare profile. The conservation benefit of successful eradications does not eliminate the ethical obligation to minimise suffering during operations.