LIFE09 NAT/SE/000344 MIRDINEC – Management of the invasive Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the north-European countries

Management of the invasive Raccoon Dog in the North-European countries
An early warning system will be established to track immigration of raccoon dogs and innovative culling/management methods will be applied to control the species. Project findings are also expected to be transferable to many other invasive species.

In alignment with the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity as well as the Bern- and RAMSAR conventions this project aims to:
Prevent damage to native biodiversity
Prevent the establishment of a viable wild population of raccoon dogs in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
Limit any increase and dispersal of the target species in Finland
Use innovative methods to reduce and eradicate invasive species such as raccoon dogs
Use tagging with GPS/VHF transmitters for effective culling
Use innovative methods to learn more about the social behaviour of invasive species
Disseminate project findings among hunters, local communities, ornithologists and international stakeholders of invasive species
Improve awareness among the public to report sightings of raccoon dogs.

Methodology
1. Note presence – 2nd Catch – 3rd Labeling – 4. Follow-up – 5th Termination and Lock Medium Trial – 6. Killed raccoon dogs