CBC News
Feb 02, 2009
SOURCE: The Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Prince Edward Island's muskrat population is disappearing and biologists want to find out why.
Island fur trappers used to bag up to 10,000 muskrat a year. Now they're lucky to find 3,000. The population decline, which has been occurring over the last decade, has wildlife experts baffled.
"In various ponds and sections of the Island the population has all but collapsed," said UPEI biology professor Daryl Guignion.
"One pond in particular that I have been familiar with for many, many years, where trappers were taking in excess of 100 muskrats out a year, this year the trapper got one rat. And so the population levels have just plummeted."
Randy Dibblee, a provincial government biologist, said there's no obvious reason for the decline. He's asked for a scientific study by UPEI and the Atlantic Veterinary College to find out what's happening.
"We were hoping that the situation would sort of correct itself because they are normally a very resilient animal," said Dibblee.
"This has not occurred, and I think what we need now is an intensive study."
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The P.E.I. Trappers Association has also asked the province and UPEI to study the problem.
The muskrat has in the past made up about half of the province's fur harvest. The rodent is also an important source of food for foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey.
