£4.5m Life Raft project targets invasive ferret and rat predators to protect Rathlin Island's endangered puffin colony.

Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland, is facing a decline in its seabird populations, particularly puffins, due to predation by rats and ferrets. The £4.5 million Life Raft project aims to eradicate these invasive species to protect the endangered puffin colony, which has seen a 74% decline since 1991. Initial efforts have successfully removed ferrets, and the project will now target rats using poisoned bait. This approach has historically boosted biodiversity in similar cases.