First imported for fur-farming, subsequent escapees and releases have led to the establishment of American Mink in the UK, with dire consequences for our native wildlife. Vince Lea describes an opportunity to remove mink from East Anglia as a pilot for the eradication of this species from the whole of Britain.
American Mink Neovison vison, referred to hereafter simply as Mink, have been introduced into many countries around the world for fur-farming and have subsequently escaped or been deliberately released. As small, generalist, semi-aquatic predators, they have successfully adapted to many environments and gone on to cause problems for a wide variety of indigenous species, mainly through direct predation but also by competing for food.