Restoring European mink to Romania’s Carpathians

In Romania, European mink were historically present across the Romanian Carpathian Mountains to the Danube Delta. Today, there is only a small population confirmed in the Danube Delta and the mink has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Their absence from European watersheds is indicative of highly fragmented and degraded landscapes that are in urgent need for restoration not only to support mink, but for the wider biodiversity and regenerating natural processes.

The project will restore European mink to the Romanian Carpathians, using this charismatic riparian mammal as a flagship species to engage civil society and government in restoring and conserving Romania’s freshwater ecosystems. By combining participatory and solutions-based approaches, communities, government, NGOs, and the private sector will be engaged in addressing barriers to implementing conservation in Romania.

The project is supported with SEK 3 950 000.

What does the project deliver?

This grant will build a national strategy for European mink conservation by assessing mink populations and their former habitats, feasibility of conservation translocations, and risks to the European mink.

Why do we support this project?

One million species are at risk of extinction, many within a decade. Protecting biodiversity is not just about saving animals or habitats. It’s about providing sustainable access to food and water and helping us cope with the worst impacts of climate change. The project contributes to this restoration.