Stoats investigating a curlew scrape in Orkney:
Stoats are not native to Orkney and were first reported in 2010. They pose a serious threat to the islands' native wildlife and economy.
Stoats investigating a curlew scrape in Orkney:
Stoats (Mustela erminea), along with weasels, ferrets, badgers and otters, are part of the Mustelid family. Typically brown with a pale chest, in winter they can turn wholly or partially white (ermine).
Stoats are up to 30 cm long and are most easily identified by their long tails that always have a black tip and their agile bounding gait.
For more information, look at our stoat identification guide.
Orkney's incredible native wildlife is threatened by the arrival of stoats.
A 2015 report concluded that they pose a serious threat to Orkney voles, hen harriers, short-eared owls and other ground-nesting birds, including red-throated divers, Arctic terns and waders including curlews.
Stoats eat both chicks and eggs. They will also impact hen harriers (the UK’s rarest bird of prey) and short-eared owls through competition for their favourite food – voles – as well as posing a threat to the Orkney voles themselves.
These impacts will become increasingly severe if stoats are not removed and will result in irreparable change to Orkney’s natural heritage.
Tourism is an important part of Orkney's economy. In 2012-13, 142,816 visitors spent £31 million in the county. By 2019-20, this figure had increased to £70 million. With nearly 50% of visitors spending time watching birds and other wildlife, any significant loss of natural heritage will have a dramatic impact on revenue generated from tourism.
Orkney has a widespread culture of keeping free-range poultry and there are already reports that some have been injured and killed by stoats. If the stoat population is left unchecked, ultimately poultry will need to be caged in stoat-proof housing with financial implications for landowners.
There are also indirect economic threats. The most significant is the potential decrease in agri-environment contracts. Currently, Orkney farmers get more points because they are in a priority area for wildlife. If Orkney becomes relatively less important for wildlife because of the impact of stoats, this could have a negative impact on the subsidies currently received.
The Orkney Native Wildlife Project aims to safeguard the native wildlife of Orkney by addressing the threat it faces from invasive non-native stoats.