Title
American beaver eradication in the southern tip of South America:
main challenges of an ambitious project
Author(s)
Menvielle, M. F.;Funes, M.;Malmierca, L.;Ramadori, D.;Saavedra, B;.;Schiavini, A. ;Soto Volkart, N.
Published
2010
Publisher
Aliens: The Invasive Species Bulletin
Abstract
Eradication may be considered an increasingly
powerful tool to obtain significant and durable
conservation outcomes. This strategy has been
rarely implemented in Chile and Argentina but
recently the governments of both countries signed
an Agreement for the “Restoration of southern
ecosystems affected by the invasion of North
American beaver (Castor canadensis)” (2008)
under which they commit to develop a project for
the eradication of beavers throughout its entire
range in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Over
20,000 km of waterways in an area of 7.000.000
ha in the Fueguian Archipielago are already
invaded by this ecosystem engineer and all types
of ecosystems are affected. Beavers managed to
cross the Strait of Magellan and are starting to
invade the continent becoming a continental
threat. The new vision for the “Beavers Project”
is to recover the important ecosystem of austral
Patagonia and its ability to provide
environmental and economic services for the
local and international community. Beaver
eradication is a first and necessary step to move
towards that vision. A Feasibility Study concluded
that eradicating beavers from their entire
distribution in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego is
feasible but difficult and a draft of a Strategic
Plan for the Beaver Eradication Project has been
prepared. The change of vision from ‘control’ to
`eradication´ opened a new context of thinking
and planning of conservation and alien species
management in Argentina and Chile.
Administrative, political, social, and economic
challenges derive from this vision. Effective and
efficient management of projects, science
development in association with management
needs, private management incorporating public
and common wealth goals, insertion of
international cooperation in management, will be
needed. Beaver eradication from southern South
America is an extremely ambitious goal but it is
also the reflection of the international needs and
interests in promoting and hopefully supporting
this type of contribution to biodiversity
conservation.
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