Gough and Inaccessible Islands

Invasive/alien terrestrial species (mice) (issue mentioned since 1999)

On 14 November 2019, the State Party submitted a progress report on the funding and implementation of the house mouse (Mus musculus) eradication programme and, on 1 December 2020, a state of conservation report for the property, which are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/740/documents/, and provide the following information:

• In 2019, progress towards the planned implementation of the eradication programme in 2020 included the preparation of major contracts, delivery of infrastructure, new expert partnerships and preparations for research team arrivals from March 2020. The project budget stands at £9.1 million including a 10% contingency, with a funding gap of £3 million and agreement by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to underwrite any shortfall;
• In 2020, COVID-19 related restrictions hindered the full implementation of the project, resulting in the expatriation of staff from the island and postponement of the project to 2021. Planning remains ongoing and the RSPB is actively fundraising to allow for contingency should further postponement be required;
• Progress has been made to limit the spread of invasive plant species procumbent pearlwort (Sagina procumbens) and further work will be undertaken during the mouse eradication project with the aim to fully eradicate the species;
• Information sharing efforts include the online availability of invasive species information and similar initiatives being undertaken by the RSPB, such as rat eradication, on other islands;
• The sinking of a fishing vessel near the island in October 2020 has not caused any ascertained damage to the island or the surrounding sea, and the State Party and Tristan Island Governments are determining whether there is any risk to sea or bird life.

The progress in 2019 regarding preparations to implement the house mouse (Mus musculus) eradication programme on Gough Island in 2020 is welcomed. Given the importance of the programme to the conservation of species that are part of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), it is regrettable that COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the postponement of the programme’s planned implementation in 2020. It is recommended the Committee request the State Party to ensure full implementation as soon as possible. Since the programme remains to be completed, the Committee’s request for the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of the results of the programme and actions to avoid collateral impact on any non-target species should be reiterated. The ongoing fundraising efforts by the RSPB and confirmation to underwrite any gaps are commendable. Nevertheless, it is important that funding is secured to ensure full implementation of the programme.

It is positive that progress has been made to limit the spread of invasive procumbent pearlwort (Sagina procumbens), and especially that it has not spread to the interior of the island, where its potential damaging impacts could be greater. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure the complete eradication of this species from the island as soon as possible, and reiterate its request for the review of the effectiveness of the eradication programme to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre once it is available.

The international exchange of best practices around invasive species and island ecosystem management is commendable and should be continued in order to both facilitate the success of the eradication programmes on Gough Island and to benefit other World Heritage properties.

Whilst acknowledging that the sinking of a fishing vessel in 2020 has caused no ascertained damage, any subsequently identified risks to the OUV of the property should be reported to the World Heritage Centre.

It is noted that the State Party does not provide updates on the current state of the property’s biodiversity values, which have been impacted by different invasive species for several years. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the next state of conservation report to include information about the population dynamics of the species that are part of the property’s OUV.