The project will work as a partnership on behalf of the Summer Isles Mink Control Initiative (SIMCI). A partnership seeking to build up-on existing volunteer efforts, to develop a coordinated mink biosecurity and rapid response plan to reduce predation risk across the Summer Isles. This formalised plan will strengthen habitat resilience for breeding European storm petrels and other ground-nesting seabirds across the Summer Isles, including Priest Island – home to one of the largest petrel colonies in the UK.
The project also aim to deliver the first archipelago-wide population estimate for European storm petrels, while testing acoustic, infrared and thermal survey methods in vegetated nesting habitats.
In 2025 SMEEF was able to provide a grant of £90,924 to support this work using resources donated by businesses.