About the European mink

 

The European mink, Mustela lutreola, is a small carnivore (Fam. Mustelidae) once widely spread in almost the whole continent and presently surviving as fragmented populations in few enclaves. The drastic change in its number and distribution has placed the species among the most endangered mammals in Europe and in the world. Most of local and international listings have regarded it as an endangered species in need of action: theIUCN Red List ranks it as an Critically Endangered Species; the IUCN Action Plan for Small Carnivores regards it as a priority species for Europe and the world; the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats lists it as a species in need of strict protection; the European Union Habitats Directive has listed it in Annex II (Member States are required to designate special areas of conservation) and in Annex IV (Member States are required to establish a system for strict protection). Furthermore, the European mink is also protected by national law of all range states.

Considering the European mink highly critical status its conservation can only be accomplished by combinining the ex situ actions with work in the field (habitat restoration, translocation, American mink control, community conservation approaches, etc).