Should poison be dropped on a mouse-infested island? California weighs plan

Wildlife officials say the mice threaten local birds, insects and reptiles - but critics warn against poison that kills everything'

The Farallon Islands are home to squawking seabirds, floppy harbor seals, brightly freckled arboreal salamanders and rare, delicate camel crickets. They are also home to what ecologists have called a plague-level infestation" of European house mice.

On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission will vote on a proposal to eradicate the invasive rodents from the islands, located just off the San Francisco coast, by dropping 3,000lb of poisoned bait from helicopters. If the contentious plan moves forward and earns approval from the regional director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), it could be implemented starting in the autumn of 2023.