Department of Land and Natural Resources
Lehua Island has been declared free of invasive rats after decades of eradication efforts, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Wednesday.
Officials monitoring the small, uninhabited island off of Kauai's western coast said getting rid of the rats creates new possibilities for the birds on the island, which has one of the most diverse seabird colonies in the state.
At least 17 seabird species, many of which are threatened, live on Lehua Island.
Research has shown that rat-free islands with thriving seabird colonies have healthier marine systems, the department said. The rats ate seabird chicks and eggs, hurting bird populations.