1 Environmental Impact Assessment for the eradication of rodents from the island of South Georgia* South Georgia Heritage Trust 11 December 2010 * This document covers both Phases of the South Georgia Habitat Restoration project. As such, it is part of a suite which describes and specifies Phase 1 of the Project. The other documents for this first Phase are the following Plans: Operational, Health and Safety, Biosecurity, Search and Rescue, Crash Recovery, Monitoring and Oil Spill Response. Together, these documents comprise the basis of the application made to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands by the South Georgia Heritage Trust for the work to be carried out, and upon which consent was given. Rodent Eradication on South Georgia: Environmental Impact Assessment, version 2 11 Dec 2010 2 CONTENTS 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Purpose of eradication ............................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Summary of proposed eradication method ................................................................................ 7 1.3 Background................................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 Previous control and eradication efforts on South Georgia ....................................................... 8 1.5 Feasibility study ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.6 The environmental evaluation process ...................................................................................... 9 1.7 Expert evaluation and stakeholder consultation ........................................................................ 9 1.8 Domestic legislation ................................................................................................................... 9 1.9 International agreements ......................................................................................................... 10 1.10 Project management structure................................................................................................. 10 2 Description of the proposed activity .................................................................................................. 10 2.1 Project outline .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Area of disturbance.................................................................................................................. 11 2.3 Personnel requirements........................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Transport.................................................................................................................................. 13 2.5 Use of Brodifacoum poison...................................................................................................... 13 2.6 Duration of activity ................................................................................................................... 15 2.7 Site waste collection and disposal ........................................................................................... 15 2.8 Project documentation ............................................................................................................. 16 3 Alternatives to proposed activity ....................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Do not proceed ........................................................................................................................ 16 3.2 Control the population.............................................................................................................. 17 3.3 Ship-based operation............................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Alternative land-based operations ........................................................................................... 17 3.5 Alternative poisons................................................................................................................... 18 3.6 Ground based methods for rodent eradication ........................................................................ 20 3.7 Use of alternative helicopter .................................................................................................... 21 3.8 Alternative operational timing................................................................................................... 21 3.9 Summary of alternatives .......................................................................................................... 22 4 Description of the Treatment Area .................................................................................................... 23 4.1 Location ................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2 Hydrology and glaciology......................................................................................................... 23 4.3 Climate..................................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Flora......................................................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Fauna....................................................................................................................................... 25 4.6 Alien species and diseases...................................................................................................... 33 4.7 Current usage .......................................................................................................................... 34 4.8 Environmental Management .................................................................................................... 35 4.9 Heritage sites ........................................................................................................................... 35 4.10 Baseline monitoring information and ongoing research........................................................... 35 4.11 Future environmental reference state in the absence of the proposed activity........................ 36 5 Assessment, Minimisation and mitigation of likely Effects on the environment ................................ 36 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 36 5.2 Potential positive effects of the proposed operation ................................................................ 36 5.3 Ethical considerations of poisoning.......................................................................................... 37 5.4 Potential effects of operation on human health........................................................................ 38 5.5 Potential for primary poisoning of non-target species.............................................................. 39 5.6 Potential for secondary poisoning of non-target species ......................................................... 45 5.7 Summary information on potential poisoning of non-target species ........................................ 47 5.8 Potential effects of bait on soil and water quality ..................................................................... 48 5.9 Potential effects of bait on the marine environment................................................................. 49 5.10 Potential effects of the operation on vegetation....................................................................... 50 5.11 Negative ecosystem effects ..................................................................................................... 50 5.12 Physical disturbance and noise ............................................................................................... 51 Rodent Eradication on South Georgia: Environmental Impact Assessment, version 3 21 Dec 2010 3 5.13 Atmospheric emissions ............................................................................................................ 55 5.14 Fuel and oil spills ..................................................................................................................... 56 5.15 Waste....................................................................................................................................... 57 5.16 Light pollution........................................................................................................................... 58 5.17 Aesthetic and heritage values.................................................................................................. 58 5.18 Introduction of alien species and translocation of diseases..................................................... 59 5.19 Use of trained rodent detection dogs ....................................................................................... 59 5.20 Adjacent and Associated Ecosystems ..................................................................................... 60 5.21 Indirect and cumulative impacts..............................................................................................