Massive die out of European rabbits in Porto Santo Island: hunting disaster or conservation opportunity?

Come on Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza. Live up to your name and do the right thing.

Control invasive species! Eradicate if can!

I visited the island in 2005 and appreciated the beauty of the island which is  completely different from the nearby most lush Madeira  and I can not allow this destruction due to the human being, this abnormal growth of the rabbits thus must be stopped.

Outrage that this would even be considered for an island, when so many projects around the world have spent decades and millions of dollars trying to get rid of exotic introductions like these in order to salvage & protect the endemic and indigenous biota.

I agree!!!...

rabbit are invasive to the island and should be treat as invasive animal , flora and fauna conservation come first

If this were happening on any island off the coast of New Zealand, there would be a united national response - seize the opportunity to return the island to its original state - rabbit free. Show some sense Portugal! This is a golden opportunity to lead a conservation initiative that would has obvious global interest.

Although I love bunnies to bits (see my email address!) VHD and Myxi are horrible ways to die. Maybe it is time to eradicate the european rabbit from this island for the sake of the rest of the wildlife and flora? This rabbit should not be there in the first place...

Don't loose this great opportunity for restoration!

Have a look at New Zealand and islands for conservation. Excellent opportunity now.

I think it is contrary to the Convention on Biological Diversity to introduce a damaging invasive alien species on such an island!

Ged rid of all the rabbits on this island NOW and protect its threatened endemic species.

Rabbits are not a wild population of Porto Santo island, so just give an opportunity for flora development and conservation.

A total disgrace

As rabbits have naturally died off, please just let their populations naturally recover.

What a wonderful opportunityfortheSpanishgovernment todo something remarkable

It is ecological insanity to boost the populations of such a destructive invasive species. The government should be concerned instead with improving the populations of the many unique species that occur on Porto Santo.

Funchal Madeira

Combating invasive species and protecting native biodiversity is a commitment taken by all governments.

We keep doing the same mistakes over and over again. It's not in our best interest to favour only few (hunting lobby) in detriment of most, especially when the reintroduction of wild rabbits will have irreversible impacts on local biodiversity, as it already happened in the past. Take advantage of the native natural biodiversity through ecoturism, that if well managed, might represent more revenue at long term than the income associated with game hunting.