Abstract
The letter points to successes in eradication of invasive species, recently questioned for Galapagos. More than 1000 eradications have succeeded worldwide, in many cases contributing more than any other conservation action to threatened species recovery.
Several red-listed species, including 11 birds, 5 mammals, and 1 amphibian, have improved their conservation status as a result of eradications of invasives. Eradication campaigns are succeeding in ever-larger areas and evolution of these technologies has minimized nontarget impacts and decreased expense.
Eradication is but one component of any policy on invasions, which must include a combination of prevention measures and early detection, with effective management (including eradication) of invasive species serving only as the last resort.