Falklands Conservation

The Urgent Need for Wildlife Protection in the Falkland Islands

Within the next 10 years a major oil industry is likely to develop around the islands, with potentially serious environmental impact. Initial exploration starts this year and the effects of the industry require urgent and objective study. Falklands Conservation is already working on the inshore aspects but funds are needed to extend this to offshore marine habitats to determine how best to protect these.

King Penguins, Volunteer Point

Baby Elephant Seal, Sea Lion Island

Commercial offshore fisheries compete with whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds for fish and squid. Albatrosses and other sea birds risk entanglement and death in longlines. Our seabird monitoring programme assesses population numbers, diet and breeding success of selected species to enable long-term trends to be detected and contributory factors identified. We need to be able to expand this work and also develop ways of reducing, and ultimately avoiding altogether, mortality of seabirds in longlines.

Due to the remoteness of the islands, the small population and very limited financial resources, our knowledge of the basic ecology of Falklands wildlife is as yet insufficient. Effective conservation measures must be founded on precise and detailed research. At the same time, there is a special responsibility for rare, threatened and declining species which are classed as globally threatened, restricted (endemic) to the Falklands, non-endemic but for which the Falklands hold a substantial proportion of world population, or whose populations in the Falklands are in significant decline.

Rockhopper Penguin, Seal Bay

Johnny Rooks (Striated Caracara), Beaver Island

Examples of these include: the Rockhopper Penguin (now at 30% of 1930's population: reasons unknown), Southern Sea Lion (population decline by 99% over the past 60 years: reasons unknown), Striated Caracara (this bird of prey was reported by Charles Darwin as "exceedingly numerous" and has been reduced to a few hundred pairs by human intervention). These and many other species of plants and animals need urgent study and action. We are already undertaking baseline surveys of penguins and seals, but we need to start detailed projects to identify the causes of decline in many species and identify ways of protecting them in future. Funds are also needed to study the other unique and globally important Falkland species.

Overstocking and burning of natural habitats for grazing has reduced Tussac Grass (a vital habitat for many species) by 80%. The offshore islands where Tussac remains are crucial to the survival of many species. Alien or introduced species (rats, cats. rabbits etc) are a significant threat at some important sites. Falklands Conservation already owns 13 offshore nature reserves and obtaining more is essential as they become available. We have also funded a specialist survey into the eradication of introduced species. We need funds to purchase and manage sites and protect the indigenous wildlife.

King Penguin

Gentoo Penguins, Sea Lion Island

Tourism is a growth industry in the Falklands and new roads have enabled access to previously remote areas. A large military garrison has effectively doubled the local population. Community education covering wildlife and conservation is vital. Environmentally sensitive sites need identifying and protecting. We employ an education officer in the islands, have produced packs for schools, a series of booklets and a video, a country code for military personnel and a manual for tourist guides. As the scale of the industry develops more needs to be done to tackle local survey, restoration or protection projects.

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