Joel James MS was delighted to welcome the UK’s first-ever biosecurity dog, Jinx, to the Senedd on Wednesday, the 8th of February.
Courtesy of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Cymru and Biosecurity for Life, Joel and his fellow members had the chance to meet Wales’ new superstar and learn more about the vital work Jinx will be doing along Wales’ coastline.
Jinx and his expert handler, Greg Morgan, treated members to a 20-minute demonstration of his ability to sniff out harmful rodents such as rats, mice and other mammals that are threatening Welsh seabirds.
By speaking to Greg and Emily Williams - the Senior Marine Policy Officer of RSPB Cymru, Joel discovered how rats, in particular, pose an immense challenge to already threatened seabird species. Rats are expert hunters and quickly eat eggs, chicks, and even adult birds.
Speaking at the session, Joel said:
“It was wonderful to see Jinx today and learn about the important work he will complete on Ramsey Island in Pembrokeshire. Greg has done a fantastic job of training him and I have no doubt he will deliver for Welsh coastlines.
The work of RSPB Cymru and Jinx is fundamental to balancing our precious ecosystems and conserving our seabird population. I want to thank them for their hard work and for making Jinx the UK’s first biosecurity dog. He is the new shining light of Wales.”
The UK is just starting to utilise high-precision ‘active’ detection tools including Conservation Detection Dogs (CDDs) like Jinx. It is hoped that Jinx will demonstrate how these dogs can be incorporated into routine island biosecurity across the UK and increase seabird resilience.
