The Agreement Is Over But Deratification Continues

Action CS21

• Follow the reproductive success of the brown noddy

An agreement between the DEAL and the management association for the Réserve Naturelle as part of the France Relance project to promote regulations controlling the population of small rodents on the small island of Tintamarre, concluded on December 31, 2022. The project consisted of two phases involving 150 traps (installed, baited, and regularly controlled and rearmed), which covered two-thirds of the island. The total count for the traps was 3,500 incidents, meaning that just about that many of these rodents will no longer impact one of the most fragile ecosystems on the sanctuary for our biodiversity.

However, the operation continues in order to cover more of the island, as well as install a biosecurity system on the beach in Baie Blanche, a busy site, to prevent more rats from arriving by the sea.

If these little invaders are annoying where picnics take place, they are also attracted by all sources of potential nourishment close to points of water, as well as nesting zones for the brown noddies and tropicbirds along the cliffs. When the number of trap incidents decreases on the second third of the island, the traps will be moved to the final third, on the eastern side of Tintamarre to complete the project.

The Réserve Naturelle would like to sincerely thank the numerous volunteers that made the very demanding and time-consuming project possible.