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The Rathlin Life Raft Project is a RSPB-led initiative which aims to eradicate domestic ferrets and brown rats from the island, and at October’s Environmental Services meeting, members were informed that a council application for £173,789 in DAERA bio-security grant aid had been successful. A council report stated: “An application was submitted to DAERA Environment Fund Challenge Competition on March 7, 2025, for a total project cost of £238,750 over a three-year period. “This would entail a contribution from Council of £33,270 from the Harbour and Marina maintenance budget. “Significant work went into the funding application from the Funding Development Officer with assistance from the Harbour Master and representatives from the partner organisations.” A council officer said the aid will be used to provide bio-security at ports at both Rathlin and Ballycastle and “continue the good work that’s been done on Rathlin to eradicated the invasive species”. They added: “It’s a really good news story and we hope to start the work relatively quickly. “We have quite a significant amount of work to get done before the end of the financial year, [so] I thank the team for that successful result.”
