The Yelkouan Shearwater (Garnija) is a “ Near Threatened” species, according to the new Red List of Threatened Species of Birds compiled BirdLife International together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“Recent research, such as that carried out by local ornithologist John J. Borg from Heritage Malta, has highlighted the fact that breeding populations of this species have declined significantly in recent years,” BirdLife said.

In Malta, which has around 10% of the world's population of this species, the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater project, now in its second year, is seeking to protect the Maltese breeding populations. The Yelkouan Shearwater is facing a whole range of threats , including predation by rats, accidental by-catch, light pollution, illegal hunting (particularly at sea) and urban development, BirdLife said.

“The IUCN Red List is a very important piece of work,” explained Dr. André Raine, BirdLife Malta’s Conservation Manager, “and these recent upgrades should be a warning sign also to the Maltese government that they need to take action to protect bird populations. The EU Birds Directive is one of the most effective pieces of conservation legislation designed to conserve Europe's birds. However the government is yet to fully implement the Birds Directive into local law, and this includes giving full legal protection to all Important Bird Areas with Special Protection Area (SPA) status.”

Last year the European Commission sent the first warning letter to Malta for insufficient Special Protected Area designation in the Maltese islands. Of the 11 Internationally Important Bird Areas identified by BirdLife Malta and BirdLife International, the government has so far fully designated only four of these areas as Special Protection Areas (SPA), as required by the Birds Directive. Of the remaining IBAs six, including Ta’ Cenc, are partially covered by SPAs, and one is not covered at all, BirdLife said.