Shearwater thriving after four-year conservation project
Video: Alan Adami
A four-year EU-funded conservation project has improved the status of the Yelkouan Shearwater, one of the Mediterranean’s most threatened sea birds, BirdLife said.
Malta hosts an estimated 10 per cent of the global population of this bird.
BirdLife told a news conference that conservation work carried out at the Rdum tal-Madonna cliffs in Mellieha, the nesting place of a third of Malta’s Yelkouans (estimated at between 398 and 602 pairs), stopped the population decline and improved the population trend of the species by an estimated 10 per cent.
The EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project (Proġett Garnija) has also recorded world-first footage of the most intimate moments of this highly secretive bird and utilised tracking technology never used before on the species.
The resulting information on the birds’ nesting, mating and migrating behaviour has placed Malta in the lead in seabird conservation and research.
The project, backed by a strong partnership of government, the private sector and conservation organisations, tackled a number of threats at the Rdum tal-Madonna EU protected site in Mellieha, and succeeded in reversing the decline the seabird had suffered in recent years.
The threat from rats, that decimated the yearly attempts of each breeding pair to raise a single chick, was eliminated in 2007.
Vigilance at the site from project staff, boosted by AFM patrols at sea, decreased illegal hunting incidences while disturbance to the breeding colony was managed through a Notice to Mariners aimed at controlling light and noise pollution during the night, when birds visit the colony.
The Natura 2000 site that was the focus of the project has now set standards for the management of similar protected sites around Malta.
The management plan developed for the area by international experts can now serve as a model for the protection of similar sites around Malta where the necessary management plans are not yet in place.
The plan developed for Rdum tal-Madonna is based on internationally recognised methodology that can easily be adopted by government for implementation at other sites of national importance.
The EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater project will also lead to the compilation of an inventory of candidate Important Bird Areas for the Yelkouans in Maltese waters thanks the research work of the project.
Rafting sites, areas where the birds congregate awaiting nightfall to return to their nests, have been found to extend up to 7km offshore.
Tracking devices fitted to adults during the breeding seasons of 2008 and 2009 also showed the birds may wander off up to 285km offshore, using fishing grounds off the south east of Malta up to the Sicilian coast. Adults were recorded coming in to feed the bird every few nights, sharing their fresh catch of fish caught kilometers offshore.
This year the project team also followed the growth of a young Yelkouan Shearwater chick, from a few days after it hatched in May to just a few days ago. At this time of year, the grown chicks start to venture out of their burrow, preparing their wings for their migration eastwards. All birds leave their colonies in July, and start returning around October.
Tracking both young and adults has shown that most of the young birds settle in the Aegean Sea, whereas adults may go further east into the Black Sea. Upon their return to Malta, the birds nest communally, occupying the same spots year after year, within shared galleries of inter-connecting crevices.
An infrared camera fitted within one of the burrows along the cliff face, within which these seabirds typically nest, has recorded world-first footage of the birds’ most intimate moments. The project team today revealed the first ever recorded mating behaviour of a pair of Yelkouan Shearwaters at one of the communal entries into the colony.
“The results of this successful partnership now relies on the respective government departments to build on the future of this LIFE project, by allocating the necessary funds for the conservation of the site, and recognize the protection of important marine sites for Yelkouan Shearwaters. A report outlining the first Marine Important Bird Areas for Malta will be issued in the coming months,” said Nicholas Barbara, project manager.
The project is a partnership between BirdLife Malta, the Armed Forces of Malta, Heritage Malta, the Capture Fisheries Branch within the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, Transport Malta, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife UK) and the Sociedada Para o Estudo das Aves (BirdLife Portugal). The project is 50 per cent funded by the EU LIFE Unit with financial aid from MEPA and HSBC.
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John Borg
Jun 30th 2010, 22:18
'estimated at between 398 and 602 pairs), stopped the population decline and improved the population trend of the species by an estimated 10 per cent'
I guess there's something wrong in these figures! BLM counted the Shearwater population in Mellieha and say that it standed at 398 pairs but can go up by another 204 pairs (that's a 50%+ increase) to 602 pairs. So with a margin of error of 50% in the original counting how could they determine a 10% increase ? .......... what evidence they've got that it was declining and do the armed forces have any records of how many hunters they have deterred at sea from hunting the shearwater?
M.Said
Jun 30th 2010, 19:51
@Mifsud
I , as a hunter did never and would never consider shooting on this beautiful bird, even if it covers all Malta with nests.
You are certianly not a hunter so dont try to throw mud on the hunting community.
jmifsud
Jun 30th 2010, 19:07
So now the government can let Maltese hunters to catch a number of this bird, since with our aid the numbers increased. In other European countries, hunters shoot birds that nest in their country and in Malta these same birds are protected. But I think we are holier than though.
The hunting season in Malta is miserable, this would meliorate a little bit the situation, after all, to hunt one has to pay a licence, which is not cheap.
Charles Gauci
Jun 30th 2010, 20:47
Mr. Mifsud, I think it is your reasoning which is miserable, not the hunting season in Malta.
kevin francica
Jul 1st 2010, 09:11
jmifsud. I hope you are not serious. As a hunter, I could see no reason why this species should be included in the quarry list, its neither sporting nor edible. Healthy breeding populations of any species of bird is beneficial to the local hunting fraternity as it is proof that sustainable hunting is not a threat to bird conservation. Well done to all involved.
S.Zammit
Jul 1st 2010, 12:05
Int bis-serjeta??
So much for being a ''conservationist'' as the name of your federation implies!Shame of even thinking of such a taught to kill such a graceful and protected bird.
Victor Falzon
Jun 30th 2010, 16:58
@ Joe Camilleri, you clearly write to prove just how uninformed you are. To answer your "statements":
1) Raine WAS project manager until Barbara took over in 2009.
2) The project "costed" (sic) the taxpayer closer to a third of that amount, if not less. Who is being sensational now?
3) Yes, rats eat shearwater chicks: that is the grim reality.
4) The rat infestation only arrived with the influx of uncontrolled camping, which results in regular mounds of litter.
5) Yelkouans are not common, so 10% adds up to just a few 1000s. They don't all breed at L-iRdum either: the site is just their biggest colony. Plus, their conservation status is Near Threatened, not Least Concern. Update your sources, please.
6) Several more than two birds were tagged, and if you knew how much each tracker costs you would (possibly) understand why the project could not afford many more.
As for the low audience: this was a press conference!
S.MICALLEF
Jun 30th 2010, 17:53
Its good to hear that they are increasing if it is true and if rats are killed no problem but i cant understand why these birds need to be tagged.I cant understand why it is so important.i think that these birds are tagged(many) because whos tagging them isnt using his money but the taxpayer's.
"boosted by AFM patrols at sea, decreased illegal hunting incidences while disturbance to the breeding colony"i cant under stand who will go in summer to shoot the shearwaters, and the sea hunting season starts in october when there are no chicks and it must be done 3km away from shore...lets say it blm cant make a press conference or anything without saying a word against hunting.
Alex Ellul
Jun 30th 2010, 16:40
continues: "As far as wind farms go, the history of Altamont pass is not an exception, it just happens to be the most scrutinized wind farm in the world. A cloak of secrecy now envelopes most other American wind farms.
Despite this slaughter of raptors, corporate heads have been steamrolling ahead with wind-farm expansion. Hundreds of thousands of prop wind-turbines are now planned for America. One of the biggest regions for the harvest of wind energy is planned for the Western United States. Today Planning Departments all over the west are being faced with the choice of having wind power in their communities. In order to obtain the proper permits, Federal and State laws require an analysis of the environmental impacts so communities can make the right choice.
My research into the wind industry has uncovered a very disturbing trend in their method of disclosing environmental impacts. What I have found is that the wind Industry in American routinely uses false or incomplete Environmental Impact Reports(EIR's) to white-wash the detrimental impacts of the prop wind turbine. "
It seems that the Wind Turbine Industry is truning into a Big Oil type of Industry with great power over politicians.
Alex Ellul
Jun 30th 2010, 16:37
This is a success story that came to fruition due to EU funding. Now, EU funded wind turbines installed off-shore will destroy everything that hasbeen achieved. In California, wind turrbines have decimated the eagle population.
The controversy surrounding wind farms in America has been brewing for over 25 years. The debate centers around the use of the deadly propeller style wind turbines and the large death toll to what are supposedly protected species. One of these species, the federally protected golden eagle, has been at the forefront of this debate from the beginning.
http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/3146 This link includes:
This is for good reason, because at Altamont Pass California, 50-75 golden eagles have been killed each year in the blades of the prop wind turbine. This killing has been taking place for over 25 years. Dr. Shawn Smallwood the foremost expert of bird mortality at the Altamont Pass wind farm estimates that 2300 golden eagles have been killed by the spinning turbine blades
Along with the golden eagle, many thousands of other birds of prey have been slaughtered there as well from this source of green energy.
r sammut
Jun 30th 2010, 16:11
The Irdum tal-Madonna also known as Irdum il-Hmar is a prime hunting area, and so not long ago used extensively even during the summer months when hunting rabbit. The Yelkouan Shearwaters have been established off the cliffs there for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years without any bother!
Enter BirdLife Malta into the picture, the people with the seemingly golden touch! Then wonder of wonders now the shearwaters numbers have suddenly jumped upwards; in the past four years!
Who was before or is now doing the counting to make such claims?
Perhaps in their bombastic annunciations, BLM missed to reveal the percentage indentation on rat populations at the Irdum, with their poisoning campaign!
Such news by BLM would go amiss if there was not a plea for funding! And that’s where the real numbers matter!
J.Brincat
Jun 30th 2010, 15:57
The EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project (Proġett Garnija) has also recorded world-first footage of the most intimate moments of this highly secretive bird
EU and Government funds to stay watching bird porn!!!!!
censu attard
Jun 30th 2010, 15:56
Well done to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife UK), RSPB ,for helping our birds to thrive ,too bad thou for the protection of their own birds of prey in their own (RSPB) homeland,
http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=1340
Mary Ann Borg
Jun 30th 2010, 15:50
How about copying what the Scots are doing in Loch of the Lowes with a pair of ospreys and their two chicks and stream the birds' nest live to all in realtime? Perhaps Birdlife can try getting a sponsor for the camera/s as well as for the bandwidth which can serve as an advert to the sponsors. Just an idea. In the meantime, well done for the results achieved after a lot of hard work and support by the government, banks and other sponsors.
Joe Camilleri
Jun 30th 2010, 15:47
Well for the gullible this is great news but:
1) Actually the project manager is Helen RAINE and not Nicholas Barbara,
2) This project costed the tax payer 1,000,000 Euros
3) To 'save' the birds = KILL the rats
4) This colony has been there for hundreds of years, rats or no rats
5) If there are really 10% of the Yelkouan Shearwater population, then we would need the whole maltese shore and not just rdum il madonna. The conservation status of the Yelkouan Shearwater is Least Concern.
6) only a couple of shear waters were tagged with tracking devices....
one wonders if 1,000,000 euros were really needed for this project. hope someday we will see were all these money went. As always there were more spokespersons than audience.
In my opinion, this was nothing but a sensational, money making programme
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 30th 2010, 16:15
Thank you, I am less gullible now. I am biased to what I read, its called the news media. The "real unbiased" news about it is that its here to stay.....!!!
S.Zammit
Jun 30th 2010, 16:18
Thats all you know how to say...bla bla bla as usual against BLM and anything they do. At least this time no hunting is mentioned yet you still crtisize.
''To 'save' the birds = KILL the rats ''
Just to let you know the rats is an Alien species that is doing alots of harm to all our local wildlife. It was eating many of the shearwater eggs. It seems you prefer protecting rats instead of our local avi-fauna like the Yelkouan Sheawater!Rats were introduced by humans and have done harm not only to this species in Malta but to many other species all around the world especially on islands like ours!
Yes this colony has been hear for hundreds of years but now thanks to this project we have discovered some interesting behavior and movement patterns of this bird.
Well done for the project; to all volunteers and sponsors!!
Franco Farrugia
Jun 30th 2010, 16:30
How quick we are to try and attack any activity by BLF. And how quick we are to belittle our fellow Maltese. Mr Barbara happens to be a very highly-qualified researcher and has been carrying out this research for more than a year.
Alan Grech
Jun 30th 2010, 16:47
Prosit Joe for some great misinformed mail. Does it get you on a high to discredit people's hard work?
S.Zammit
Jun 30th 2010, 17:19
@Joe Camillieri. Did you read the above article before commenting???
Yes alot of intersting behaviour and habits were found
Why don't you go the official website and see for yourself all the research and new things learnt from the project that according to you even ''a five year old toddler '' knows !! .
http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/154.pdf
anthony borg
Jun 30th 2010, 15:46
Ara kieku b'qajna barra l-EU kemm kienu jintilfu progetti bhall dawn u ohrajn.
Kemm kien ghaqli min tana id-direzzjoni lejn l-Unjoni Ewropea.
C.Borg
Jun 30th 2010, 14:51
Very Well Done! Positive news in the environmentral department is always nice to hear in these hard and non chalance times!
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 30th 2010, 14:49
Cool, very well done indeed. This very intensive research project has given insight to the life of this natural champion of the air, sea and land. Congratulations to all who made this conservation project a success.