Falklands Conservation (FC) has announced the launching of its new Darwin Plus-funded project for long-term restoration work on New Island Nature Reserve. New Island is one of the remotest islands in the Falklands archipelago, which runs a wildlife reserve and centre for scientific research, expected to considerably improve with the appointment of a new Bio-security and Invasives Manager.
The already endangered Tristan albatross and other seabird species are under threat from a particular breed of mice in Gough Island in the South Atlantic ocean, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warned Monday.Other species endangered by the mice include the Gough bunting and Atlantic petrel, the RSPB said.
The UK has launched a new Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund, which consolidates funds from the Foreign Office, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for International Development, dedicated to environmental and conservation projects in those territories.
The July edition of the South Georgia Newsletter has an interesting comment on the recent announcement that the Falklands’ population of black-browed Albatross has seen a healthy increase in the number of breeding birds, information that has been submitted to BirdLife International for use in the Red List assessment process
The announcement this week that the catches for the first loligo season for 2012 totaled 34,900 metric tones, equal to more than the entire catch for 2011, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Falkland Island fishery.
There aren’t too many people in the world who can say they own an island, but John Hellowell is one of them. Necker Island it isn’t, but Dalby man John Hellowell is justifiably proud of his piece of paradise – a small nature reserve in the Falkland Islands, known as The Kidneys.
Overseas Territories Minister Henry Bellingham met representatives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on Wednesday, and received a pledge signed by almost 17,000 of their members, asking the UK Government to ensure that the valuable biodiversity of the Overseas Territories is preserved.
A new global estimate of the impact of longline fisheries on seabirds reveals that, despite efforts to reduce seabird deaths, upwards of 300,000 birds are still being killed every year. However South Georgia is praised for having imposed strict regulations that have seen seabird deaths as bycatch drop by 99%.