The Terra Naturalis Nature, Culture and Development Association is developing a project to eradicate the American mink and protect biodiversity.

“Control and eradication of the American mink(Neovison vison) in the Autonomous Communities of Castilla-La Mancha and Aragón. Tool to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity: the cases of Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) and European mink (Mustela lutreola)” is a project of the Terra Naturalis Nature, Culture and Development Association that has the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment.

The American mink is a species of great voracity and reproductive capacity. Habitual predator of endangered species (Iberian desman, native crayfish, amphibians and reptiles). In addition, it is a carrier of the Aleutian virus, a major threat to Iberian mustelids. It is the main threat to the conservation of the European mink, one of the most endangered carnivores in the world.

The objective of the project is to eradicate the American mink from the proposed area in the provinces of Guadalajara, Cuenca and Zaragoza. Work is being carried out to survey the riverbeds and in places where their presence is confirmed. As a collateral objective, it is envisaged to contribute to the conservation of the relict populations of Iberian desman that could still exist in the mountains of Guadalajara and to contribute to the conservation of the European mink by eliminating the American mink in the places belonging to the same basin where it resides (Ebro-Alto Jalón and Mesa) or other nearby basins from where it could recolonize the habitat of the European.

This project is using a relatively new method of detection and capture that allows us to know with great accuracy the area occupied and makes possible the eradication of the species. In Scotland, the American mink has already been eradicated from some 30,000 km2 using this methodology.

Depending on the intensity of the effort applied, the species could be eradicated in a short period of time in those areas where the work area of this initiative is distributed.