Perth and Kinross Climate Action

🐾 Why do we need to work at scale to tackle American mink? 🐾

Today for we're looking at why is it important to work at scale in an American mink control project.

American mink can migrate over large distances. Most juveniles will stay relatively close to their mother's territory but a significant proportion travel much further - sometimes over 80 km! 😮

Territory sizes will vary but tend to be around 5 km of river, depending on habitat quality and the s*x of the mink, with males holding larger territories than females.

This means that is it essential to work on a large scale to be effective. If only a small area is covered, mink will quickly move in from neighbouring areas and recolonise.

Our American mink control project operates on a landscape-scale, covering over a third of mainland Scotland. River catchments in border regions will have an influx of mink moving in from uncontrolled areas but those in the centre of the project are better protected.

We see this reflected in our capture numbers, with higher mink captures in Tayside and Wester Ross and lower numbers in Aberdeenshire. Almost 60% of our mink captures last year came from only two areas - the River Tay and Wester Ross!

Our dedicated volunteers are essential to manage a network at this scale - in 2025 we had over 400 volunteers monitoring traps and rafts across northern Scotland. We simply couldn't do it without them! 🙏

📷 American mink © J McAvoy

NatureScot Net Zero Scotland Tay District Salmon Fishing Scotland Esk Rivers Fishery Board & Trust The River Dee The River Don Deveron, Bogie & Isla Rivers Charitable Trust Spey Fishery Board Findhorn, Nairn & Lossie Rivers Trust Cromarty Firth Fishery Board Ness District Salmon Fishery Board Beauly Fishery Board West Sutherland Fisheries Trust