Ligurian Invasive Fauna Eradication pro indigenous Emys orbicularis restocking

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The practice of cleaning river beds using excavators and bulldozers, formerly favoured by local authorities in the Centa plain, has led to the loss of most river bed pools in the area. Most of the few scattered pools that are left are in isolated positions peripheral to river beds and are thus more subjected to in-filling. They also face a range of threats, such as the uncontrolled access of vehicles (mainly motorbikes), the trampling of clay pond/rivulet formations, the presence of dogs and the dumping of waste.

Uncontrolled access of vehicles and people to the habitats concerned has led to the bank and clay vegetation becoming damaged as well as soil compaction and clay pond erosion. These impacts have resulted in alterations as well as the reduction of food sources, shelter areas and breeding rates of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis ingauna) of the Centa plain, a species listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive. Other threats to the target species are uncontrolled, small-scale game fishing activities and the introduction of non-native invasive fauna.

OBJECTIVES

The LIFEEMYS roject aimed to:

Eradicate invasive, non-native freshwater terrapin and turtle species in two areas, including the most significant wetland habitats of Liguria: the plain of Centa river and the basins of the Magra and Vara rivers;

Implement ex-situ breeding with the aim of restocking the population of the European pond turtle of the Centa plain;

Restock with captive-bred juveniles the Centa plain wetland habitat areas favoured by the European pond turtles (This action would also aim to remove all alien invasive freshwater turtle and terrapin species);

Improve the wetland habitat quality for the targeted pond turtle species, especially its important basking and breeding areas;

Draw up a pathology risk assessment (before, during and after the restocking) for both the released and the wild turtle species; and

Increase public awareness of the vulnerability of wetland ecosystems and thus the need to avoid any further releases of invasive, non-native freshwater species into the wild.

RESULTS

The LIFEEMYS project reached its environmental targets, establishing a viable populations of native turtles and removing non-native individuals. A total of 181 captive-reared native turtles were released in the Natura 2000 network sites, increasing the existing population in the entire region (around 100 individuals were estimated to be present at the start of the project). The removal of the alien turtles (600 individuals) from the wild and their placement in captive facilities led to their near eradication from the area where the native ones are present (Savona Province) and the control of their population in the area where no native species are present (La Spezia Province). In this way the project contributed not only to the implementation of the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive, but also to the EU regulation on invasive alien species (no. 1143/2014), which includes the alien turtle (Trachemys scripta) in the list of invasive alien species of concern to the EU.

Additionally, the project carried out some habitat restoration works on the sites where the native turtles were released. The project team created two fully operational breeding facilities, while the screening of diseases and parasites ensured the healthy status of the reintroduced animals (as well as the removed alien ones). A very effective information campaign was also carried out, reaching over 11 million people.

Several actions, such as captive management of both alien and native turtles, reintroductions of the native species, and relevant monitoring and communication activities, are expected to continue after the project. These will be carried out by the association of volunteers, Emys Liguria, which was founded during the project. The association will also take charge of the management of the Albenga Emys centre. The Genova Aquarium were expected to support the activities of this network, ensuring further releases in the future (including the planned reintroduction of a further 20 turtles in 2017). Additionally, the Pistoia zoo will continue to take care of the alien turtles currently hosted in the facilities built during the project. The project could be used as a model for further reintroduction programmes, including such actions as the removal of alien species as a main threat for the protected target species and the screening of wildlife pathogens to ensure the long-term success of the work. The project serves as a good demonstration of how best to address key threats to the overall benefit of a reintroduction programme (i.e. by keeping the removed animals alive in a captive facility, the project was able to mitigate any public objections or concerns about the methods employed).

Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).