Rat Prevention on Alaska Maritime Refuge

Known as the Galapagos of the North, Alaska’s Pribilof Islands are home to three million seabirds and nearly a million fur seals. What they don’t have are rats.

The Pribilofs are among thousands of islands that comprise the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Most of these islands historically have been rat free. But with new ports opening up and more and more fishing boats making way for the islands, wildlife biologists are concerned opportunities are growing for the bird-eating rodents to hitchhike on a fishing boat, jump ashore and establish themselves on these islands.

To keep the rats out, the refuge earlier this year banded together with the native Pribilovians, various wildlife organizations and state, federal and tribal agencies in forming the Rat Outreach Team.

Their main targets are fishermen and shippers, said Poppy Benson, public programs supervisor for the refuge. The group has put together 100 or so rat prevention kits for fishermen, each containing rattraps, mousetraps, a rodent ID poster and educational DVD.

“We’re asking the fishermen to be vigilant when they’re in those harbors that do have rats,” Benson said, explaining that even fishermen who moor near refuge islands could introduce rats.

Contact: Poppy Benson, (907) 226-4606.