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Falklands Conservation |
From Falklands Conservation Newsletter 01/01, Stanley
January 2001
Common Clean 2000
On Saturday 16th December a small group of enthusiastic local people and military personnel assembled behind the rugby pitch for the second annual Common Clean of 2000. The first took place in January 2000, and being such a success we decided to carry on with a second clean on Stanley Common rather than return to the traditional site of beach clean ups at Whalebone Cove.
Volunteers Removing Rubbish from Stanley Common (Photo: Ann Brown)
Whilst several bemused horses looked on we set about lifting, pulling and hauling large pieces of cars, several tarpaulins, corrugated iron and wire, while the EOD removed large quantities of iron rods attached to concrete blocks. The Resident Infantry Company , the Cheshire Regiment, made a sterling effort moving the larger pieces of rubbish and remained enthusiastic throughout. It was great to see such a good military turn-out from MPA - outnumbering locals for the first year ever!
After much hard work, the three skips provided free by the Falkland Islands Company were full to overflowing so everyone tucked into a fantastic barbecue donated by Leif's, The Falklands Brasserie, The Bread Shop and Stanley Bakery. As usual, Phil Middleton and the Stanley Scout Group kindly provided the barbarcue and cooking utensils, many thanks to him once again, whilst Field Assistant Tanya McCullum had change of occupation to chef, ably assisting Hay Miller in the cooking operations.
After the BBQ the winning ticket was drawn for the Tussac Appeal Raffle by Rod Charlton, Environmental Protection Officer for MPA. Nick Hadden was the winner and he took home a beautifully illustrated signed copy of 'The Falklands' by Mandy Shepherd.
Survey for Rat Eradication Programme
Two consultants from New Zealand arrived in the Islands on 27th January to survey several small offshore tussac islands for a rat eradication programme. Lindsay Chadderton and Derek Brown will be conducting assessments so that later in the year a plan to eradicate rodents from a number of selected locations can be implemented. Rats are a particular threat to several Falkland birds including Cobb's Wren, which is endemic to these islands. The project is being supported the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Environment Fund for Overseas Territories.
'Localising' Environmental Education
Dr Alistair Lavery, Head of Education (RSPB, Scotland) arrived on 30th Jaunary for a three week visit to look into the possibilities for localising the Falkland environmental education curriculum. Dr Lavery will be liaising closely with both Falklands Conservation and the Falkland Islands Government Department of Education.
Slaughter of Rock Shags
On the evening of 24th January in the vicinity of Mullet Creek firearms were used to kill birds and chicks at close range in a rock shag breeding rookery. The Royal Falkland Islands Police in conjunction with Falklands Conservation will be doing a survey to estimate the extent of the damage. A witness at the scene described the incident as a barbaric act with parent rock shags and their young being slaughtered on their nests, other young were left facing starvation due to the loss of their parents.
Shags Take Over on Swan Island
A family were shocked to discover their house and other buildings entirely surrounded by nesting king shags when they arrived to make their annual working visit to Swan Island in Falkland Sound where they have 1,200 sheep.
The nesting birds had occupied every space around the house right up to the doorstep and the sheep pens were packed with birds. The family suspect the birds had moved from nearby Islands as a visit to them led to the discovery that a number of colonies had been deserted. The shags currently have small chicks so the family were reluctant to disturb them. They hope that something can be done when they return in mid-February. They are considering putting up wire netting fences in an attempt to dissuade the birds from nesting too near the settlement in future.
King Shags Surrounding Homestead on Swan Island (Photo: Penguin News)
Military Help Protect Important Tussac Grass Area
A new design of fence has just been erected to protect an important area of tussac grass re-growth at Bull Point, East Falkland. The fence was put in place by soldiers from the Resident Infantry Company, the Cheshire Regiment, currently serving in the Falklands. This has been a special initiative by Falklands Conservation as part of its Tussac Restoration Project, funded by donations from its Tussac Appeal.
Bull Point contains one of the few areas of regenerating tussac grass on East Falkland. As tussac is the single most important wildlife habitat in the Falklands and has declined by over 80% since the arrival of the first settlers protection of remaining areas is particularly important. Bull Point is also home to large numbers of penguins.
The fence in question separates the Bull Point camp, from the main sheep grazing area. It will stop a persistent band of sheep getting into an area of tussac re-growth around a shoreline fence. Because of tides that rip around this part of the coast, traditional wire fencing gets washed away after every repair, much to the frustration of farm manager Ian Jaffray. When Falklands Conservation found out about a new fence design from Doug Cartridge at the Agricultural Department, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to try it out at Bull Point. The design works by stringing one piece of wire along the top, then hanging soft wire down at intervals to form a curtain, preventing seaweed getting caught up on it and allowing the tide to pass underneath.
During February, a team of 9, led by Captain Stephen Wilson, have been hard at work down at Bull Point putting up the new fence. This hopefully marks the first of several conservation projects where military assistance will provide manpower. 'The team from the RIC were brilliant' reported Conservation Officer Becky Ingham 'They worked hard and really got to grips with the fencing and also had a good chance to see some of the wildlife in a lovely part of the Falklands. I hope this has provided them with a slightly different view of the Islands and that others will be keen to get involved in the future. Following the South Jason fire there has been much talk of working closer with the military to encourage awareness of the Falklands environment and this short trip showed how successful it can be on both sides'.
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Patron: HRH The Duke of York CVO ADC Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature | BirdLife International Representative |