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Research by Australian Antarctic Division scientists, published in the 13 January 2009 issue of the [[British Ecological Society]]'s ''[[Journal of Applied Ecology]]'', suggested that the success of the feral cat eradication program has allowed the rabbit population to increase, damaging the Macquarie Island ecosystem by altering significant areas of island vegetation.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2009/lessons-learned-from-devastating-effects-of-cat-eradication-on-macquarie-island |title=Lessons learned from devastating effects of cat eradication on Macquarie Island |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714181853/http://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2009/lessons-learned-from-devastating-effects-of-cat-eradication-on-macquarie-island |archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> However, in a comment published in the same journal other scientists argued that a number of factors (primarily a reduction in the use of the [[Myxoma virus]]) were almost certainly involved and the absence of cats may have been relatively minor among them.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dowding |first1=J.E. |last2=Murphy |first2=E.C. |last3=Springer |first3=K. |last4=Peacock |first4=A.J. |last5=Krebs |first5=C.J. |year=2009 |title=Cats, rabbits, Myxoma virus, and vegetation on Macquarie Island: a comment on Bergstrom ''et al.'' (2009) |journal=[[Journal of Applied Ecology]] |volume=46 |issue=5 |pages=1129–1132 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01690.x |doi-access=free|bibcode=2009JApEc..46.1129D }}</ref> The original authors examined the issue in a later reply and concluded that the effect of the Myxoma virus use was small and reaffirmed their original position.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Management implications of the Macquarie Island trophic cascade revisited: a reply to Dowding et al. (2009) |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |volume=46 |issue=5 |pages=1133–1136 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01708.x |year=2009 |last1=Bergstrom |first1=Dana M. |last2=Lucieer |first2=Arko |last3=Kiefer |first3=Kate |last4=Wasley |first4=Jane |last5=Belbin |first5=Lee |last6=Pedersen |first6=Tore K. |last7=Chown |first7=Steven L. |bibcode=2009JApEc..46.1133B |hdl=10019.1/120032 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The original authors did not, however, explain how rabbit numbers were greater in previous periods such as the 1970s before the myxoma virus was introduced and when cats were not being controlled, nor how rabbits had built up to such high numbers when cats were present for some 60 years prior to the introduction of rabbits; suggesting that cats were not controlling rabbit populations before the introduction of the myxoma virus.
On 4 June 2007, a media release by [[Malcolm Turnbull]], Federal Minister for Australia's Environment and Water Resources Board, announced that the Australian and Tasmanian Governments had reached an agreement to jointly fund the eradication of rodent pests, including rabbits, to protect Macquarie Island's World Heritage values.<ref>{{cite press release |first=Malcolm |last=Turnbull |author-link=Malcolm Turnbull |title=Agreement to eradicate rabbits on Macquarie Island |date=7 June 2007 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/env/2007/pubs/mr04jun07.pdf |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=12 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927161323/http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/env/2007/pubs/mr04jun07.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> The plan, estimated to cost $24 million [[Australian dollar]]s, was based on mass baiting the island similar to an eradication program on [[Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku|Campbell Island]], [[New Zealand]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Darby |title=Up against rats, rabbits and costs |date=11 April 2007 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/up-against-rats-rabbits-and-costs/2007/04/11/1175971183257.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=11 April 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222231309/http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/up-against-rats-rabbits-and-costs/2007/04/11/1175971183257.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 |archive-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> to be followed with teams of dogs trained by [[Steve Austin (dog trainer)|Steve Austin]]<ref>[http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/antarctica-expedition-macquarie-island.htm/ Antarctica expedition: Macquarie Island] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326104903/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/antarctica-expedition-macquarie-island.htm |date=26 March 2011}}, ''[[Australian Geographic]]'', 23 March 2011.</ref> over a maximum seven-year period.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/macquarie/rabbitsfaq.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812004625/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/macquarie/rabbitsfaq.html |url-status=dead |title=Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania - Plan for the Eradication of Rabbits and Rodents on Macquarie Island |archive-date=12 August 2007}}</ref> The baiting was expected to inadvertently affect kelp gulls, but greater-than-expected bird deaths caused the program to be suspended. Other species killed by the baits include [[giant petrel]]s, [[Pacific black duck|black duck]]s and [[skuas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ogilvie |first=Felicity |title=Bird deaths lead to review of baiting program |url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s3046416.htm |access-date=17 January 2013 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |date=23 October 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102140032/http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s3046416.htm |archive-date=2 November 2010}}</ref>
In February 2012, ''[[The Australian]]'' newspaper reported that rabbits, rats and mice had been nearly eradicated from the island.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/natives-thriving-since-pests-were-voted-off-the-island/story-e6frg8y6-1226269129988 |title=Natives thriving since pests were voted off the island |first=Matthew |last=Denholm |work=The Australian |date=13 February 2012 |access-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226213952/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/natives-thriving-since-pests-were-voted-off-the-island/story-e6frg8y6-1226269129988 |archive-date=26 February 2012}}</ref> In April 2012 the hunting teams reported the extermination of 13 rabbits that had survived the 2011 baiting; the last five were found in November 2011, including a lactating doe and four kittens. No fresh rabbit signs were found up to July 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001 |title=Parks & Wildlife Service - Project News & Updates |work=parks.tas.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424080012/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001 |archive-date=24 April 2013 |access-date=7 March 2014}}</ref>
On 8 April 2014, Macquarie Island was officially declared pest-free, after seven years of conservation efforts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?sys=News%20Article&intID=3157 |title=Parks & Wildlife Service - News Article |work=parks.tas.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413023110/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News%20Article&intID=3157 |archive-date=13 April 2015 |access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref> This achievement was the largest successful island pest-eradication program attempted to that date.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-07/macquarie-island-declared-pest-free-after-eradication-program/5373336?section=tas |title=Macquarie Island declared pest free |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=7 April 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408012506/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-07/macquarie-island-declared-pest-free-after-eradication-program/5373336?section=tas |archive-date=8 April 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/09/south-georgia-declared-rat-free-centuries-rodent-devastation ''South Georgia Declared Rat-Free'' (The Guardian, 9 May 2018) Accessed 20 July 2020]</ref> In May 2024, it was reported that the island had remained free of pests for 10 years, with vegetation flourishing. However, ongoing monitoring, along with measures such as the use of [[biosecurity]] dogs to check cargo with the island as its destination are necessary, as there are new threats such as [[climate change]] and [[avian influenza]]. Ongoing monitoring programs are funded by the federal government.<ref >{{cite web | last=Gibson | first=Jano | title=Macquarie Island remains pest free 10 years after eradication program, but new threats loom | website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] | date=30 May 2024 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-30/macquarie-island-pest-free-following-eradication-program/103908056 | access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref>
===Introduced birds===
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