A LIFE project to save the European mink

More information: https://lifevison.fr/en

Context

The European Mink (Mustela lutreola) is one of the most endangered species in Europe. In France, it is among the three mammals most threatened with extinction. Globally considered as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in 2011, it is listed as a priority species of Community interest in Annex II of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.
Mustela lutreola acts as an umbrella species – by preserving its habitat, many other species (such as the European otter Lutra lutra and the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina) and habitats (such as alluvial alder and ash forests) benefit from the same conservation actions. The European Mink’s distribution area has shrunk by half in the last twenty years.

Objectives

The project aims at maintaining or increasing the European Mink’s population in one of the species’ last stronghold area, the Charente catchment, by developing new survey and management techniques.

The European Mink

The European Mink is a carnivorous mammal belonging to the Mustelidae family. It has a uniform brown fur and a white mark on the upper and lower lips [unlike the polecat and the alien competitor, the American Mink]. The European Mink is present only in wetlands such as swamps, streams, riparian forests and wet meadows. The diversity of these habitats provides a various amount of prey such as amphibians, little mammals, fishes and birds. They use low and dense vegetation strata in partially or entirely flooded areas such as sedge, rushes, reeds and brambles as essential refuges during the day.

Camera traps project

Camera traps help us to identify the areas where the European Mink is present. As soon as an European Mink is identified in a phto of a camera trap, traps are set up in the area to catch it. When a European Mink is catch, it is weighted and microchipped. Several minks will also be fitted with a GPS emettor. It will allow us to follow the European Mink to have more information about its behavior. It will also help us to identify and protect the habitat that the European Mink use to rest, feed or breed.

A LIFE project

The LIFE program is a financial tool of the European Union to support environmental and climate related projects. It contributes to the implementation, development and reinforcement of the environmental politic and legislation in financing partially main actions and demonstrative projects of interest for the Europe. The category « Nature & Biodiversité » finances projects which contribute to the implementation of the « Oiseaux » and « Habitats » Directives according to the Europe vow to stop the biodiversity loss by 2020. The projects must be located inside the Natura 2000 network which gather natural and semi-natural sites of the European Union. These sites have an important patrimonial value because of their exceptional biodiversity.