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A Notice to Mariners being issued by the Malta Maritime Authority this time carries a double bill, it will contribute towards sustaining Malta’s largest conservation initiative of its kind, the Yelkouan Shearwater Project.

With 50% funding from the EU Life Nature Fund, the importance of this project lies in the fact that an estimated 1,500 pairs of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan) are known to breed here, which equals approximately 10% of the world’s Yelkouan Shearwater population. The Yelkouan Shearwater Project seeks to protect the birds at the largest breeding site, Rdum tal-Madonna (L’Ahrax tal-Mellieha).

The MMA’s Notice to Mariners No 06 of 2008 refers to a restricted area between what is known as Ponta ta’ l-Ahrax and Dahlet ix-Xilep commonly referred to as “Rdum tal-Madonna”. These cliffs are a very popular breeding area for the Yelkouan Shearwater and have now been designated as a “Special Protection Area”.

“This Notice to Mariners is the MMA’s way to contribute towards a nature project of great significance for ensuring the protection of such an endangered species,” states Charles Axisa Marketing and Communications Manager at MMA. “Since it has been found that abrupt light and noise can easily disturb the birds during the peak breeding season and cause them to desert the colony, the MMA has established a buffer zone about 1.1 Nautical Mile from shore and when masters of all vessels and craft approach this area, they are to ensure that lights have to be switched off and no loud noise is allowed whilst moving along this stretch of coast. This notice refers specifically to pleasure cruises operating as “Floating Discos” and also prohibits the letting off of petards and other fireworks from sea. The buffer zone to the SPA is a “no stopping zone” for all vessels other than vessels licensed to carry fishing activities however such fishing activities in the area using strong lights are prohibited,” explained Mr Axisa.

Speaking about this project, Helen Raine, Project Manager for the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project said “Malta is a real hotspot for seabirds so it is really important internationally that we protect these birds.If the parent birds are disturbed by light or noise from boats, the chicks can be left to starve. That’s why we are so pleased to be working with MMA and the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) to ensure that the Notice to Mariners is followed and the birds protected when they are breeding.”

This project is also interesting from a logistical perspective because it involves a close collaboration between three conservation organisations which are BirdLife Malta, The RSPB (BirdLife UK) and SPEA (BirdLife Portugal) and four government authorities namely the Malta Maritime Authority, AFM, Heritage Malta and Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences, thus promoting an innovative way of working in Malta to ensure we achieve our project aims and secure the long term future for these birds. With the help of the EU LIFE Fund, we are thus seeking to reverse population declines and reduce future threats to the birds at the Rdum tal- Madonna site and nationally.

More information about the Yelkouan Shearwater Project may be obtained from the project’s dedicated website www.lifeshearwaterproject.org....mt.