PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan), which is endemic to the Central and Eastern Mediterranean region, is listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive and Annex II of the Bern Convention, and is subject to special conservation measures across Europe. Due to drastic population declines, the status of the Yelkouan shearwater was recently downgraded to ‘vulnerable’ according to IUCN criteria. More than 10% of the world’s Yelkouan shearwater population breeds in Malta. To date, BirdLife Malta and partners have made various efforts to understand and tackle the main threats causing the decline of the species, both at land and at sea. The LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater project (LIFE06 NAT/MT/000097) secured the largest colony in Malta, and the LIFE+ Malta Seabird project (LIFE10 NAT/MT/000090) helped identify marine SPA sites for the species and other seabirds. In the light of previous achievements, it has become necessary to prepare the ground for a long-term recovery of the species in the central Mediterranean islands of Malta.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE Arcipelagu Garnija project aimed to ensure the long-term recovery of the Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) in the central Mediterranean islands of Malta, by increasing the knowledge of colony sites, number of breeding pairs and reproductive output, and prevalent terrestrial threats. The project’s other objectives were to reduce the direct and indirect human-caused threats by managing them through informed concrete conservation actions; increase the number of breeding pairs by approximately 10% and the reproductive output of the majority of the breeding colonies by 25%; and address relevant policies, such as Malta’s National Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan (2014-2020), the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, EU Birds Directive, and the Integrated Monitoring Programme of the Barcelona Convention.
RESULTS
The LIFE Arcipelagu Garnija project improved the conservation status of the Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) in the Maltese islands, by reducing serious threats affecting the species. The measures taken also benefitted other seabirds. This was the first project in Malta, and one of the first in Europe, to reduce light pollution as a seabird conservation method.
The project conducted a successful localised predators control and eradication campaign, at eight sites where rat presence was verified, including five Natura 2000 sites. These areas account for more than half of the national population of Yelkouan shearwater. Fluctuating annual bird breeding success was observed, though reaching a satisfactory percentage for the species (≥75%). The rat control led to an increase in the reproductive success of Yelkouan shearwater in three of the monitored colonies, with estimated percentage increase for these colonies from 2016 up to 2020 from 4.65% to 7.06%. Fifla islet has remained rat-free, as shown by the biosecurity monitoring performed. Therefore, 50% of the Mediterranean population of storm-petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) was also safeguarded from predation.
The project team conducted pioneering work on the effects of light pollution on breeding seabirds. As a result, guidelines and recommendations for changes to policy and legislation on coastal light pollution were produced. These have increased awareness about coastal light pollution in Malta. The Ċirkewwa Ferry Terminal changed 34 lights to reduce light pollution by 50%. Reduced light pollution improved habitat quality at ten sites for Yelkouan shearwater breeding colonies. The project’s light pollution work also led to a reduced cost of energy use, by reducing unnecessary light and increasing lighting efficiency, in light pollution mitigation areas.
Other outcomes were two Notices to Marines, aimed at reducing the disturbance of boat traffic to shearwater colonies, and a Code of Conduct aimed at mitigating disturbance by boats, which was signed by three operators. The project team’s work led to the designation of a new Natura 2000 site, SPA Wied Il-Għasri (MT0000037), following submission of data collected by the project. Two more sites are being evaluated for SPA designation. In addition to Yelkouan shearwater, the project’s ecosystem level analysis also involved collecting data on storm-petrel, Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis).
In total, the project actions affected 11 Natura 2000 sites along the Maltese coast. The implementation conservation measures were included in the management plans of these sites. The project enabled BirdLife Malta to complete the first fine-scaled study of each known breeding colony of the Yelkouan shearwater in Malta, to provide useful information for long-term conservation and management actions. Furthermore, the monitoring activities also found signs of growing public awareness about seabirds and the threats they face.
The project contributed to the implementation of the EU Birds Directive (Annex I species), EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the Bern Convention (Annex II). The project also contributed to the European and Global Red List status assessments for the species in 2016 and 2020, respectively; and to the development of an International Species Conservation Action Plan for the Yelkouan shearwater.
Predator (rat) control at some sites can potentially provide economic benefits to local farmers, and potential health benefits in areas used for recreational purposes. The main socio-economic benefit is the indirect impact on the local economy. Two new jobs were created by the project: a technical officer on light pollution issues and a field warden. 19 full-time employees were recruited during the project. The project’s light pollution work led to reduced energy use costs, and the uptake of policy recommendations on lighting would extend the scale of these savings in the Maltese Islands.
