Source:
The ScotsmanFears of ecological disaster for St KildaBy ALASTAIR DALTON AND FRANK URQUHART
URGENT action was being taken last night to protect the fragile environment of St Kilda – Britain's first World Heritage Site – amid fears that rats could leap ashore from a stricken fishing boat
.
Following a dramatic day in which 14 Spanish fishermen were airlifted to safety when their vessel foundered on rocks in a force-nine gale and mountainous seas, it emerged that the islands' seabird colony could be under threat from rodents.
Experts believe it is possible that rats on board the vessel, which is currently trapped against rocks on the main island's coast, will move on to land, where at present the only mammals are mice and sheep.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) – which owns the group of islands, 44 miles west of Benbecula – said St Kilda's seabird colony could be decimated if rats get ashore....
Read more:
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Fears-of-ecological-disaster-for.3737673.jp
There's also a concern about the trawler estimated 8,000 litres of diesel and oil if it leaked. This could be a major disaster for many species of seabirds in the northeast Atlantic!