Monitoring invasive mammals for rapid response and control

European Regulation 1143/2014 must ensure that the establishment of invasive alien species is avoided in an area-wide and uniform manner in Europe. The regulation is directly applicable to a list of priority species, including several mammals.In 2019 there are 11 mammalian species on the European list (muskrat, beaver rat, raccoon, Javan mongoose, South American coati, Reeves's muntjac, and 4 squirrel species - Eastern gray squirrel, Pallas's squirrel, Fox squirrel, and Siberian chipmunck). For all of these species, possession, exchange, trade, and release are prohibited by law. Except for muskrat and Siberian chipmunk (containment), the extermination of all these species is pursued.
For all of these species, possession, exchange, trade, and release are prohibited by law. Except for muskrat and Siberian ground squirrel (containment), the extermination of all these species is pursued.

The European hunting community acknowledges having an important social responsibility in the implementation of the regulation. Hunters can make an essential contribution to the monitoring, awareness and management of these species. In accordance with the Regulation, management is understood to mean the rapid removal ('rapid response') of species not yet present when they are first identified. Species that are already present are either eradicated where possible, or contained spatially, or controlled in numbers. Because the regulation focuses, among other things, on mammals at an early stage of invasion, their monitoring is hampered by often low to extremely low densities. In addition, mammals often have a hidden (nocturnal) way of life. Monitoring, trapping and shooting techniques therefore often require the necessary refinement.

The aim of this project is to refine the monitoring of mammals on the European list that are difficult to detect in such a way that it operationally supports the contribution of Flemish hunters to the objectives of the regulation. The developed methods should, as far as possible, also be usable afterwards by third parties and should also allow for a civil science research approach (in collaboration with stakeholders), because support for the regulation is an important condition for surveillance.