The NGO SEO/BirdLife has denounced the "plundering" of shearwater nests that "between September and November" has continued to take place "in recent years" in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and has called for citizen collaboration to stop them, recalling that the hunting of this protected species is "totally prohibited" in the Canary Islands.
"Historically, the plundering of shearwater nests in the Canary Islands was a permitted practice known as pardeleo and whose purpose was mainly to obtain the meat of the chicks as a food resource in times of scarcity," say the organization, from where they indicate that, however, "currently the hunting of this protected species is totally prohibited and is classified as a crime according to the Penal Code."
SEO/BirdLife emphasizes that "the species is in a delicate situation, among other things, due to this illegal practice, and recalls that the hunting, possession, destruction or possession of specimens of shearwater must be eradicated in its entirety, as it poses a threat to the maintenance of its populations." The Atlantic population of shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis or Calonectris borealis) is included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection Regime and in the Red Book as Vulnerable, in addition to being included in Annex I of the Birds Directive.
"Unfortunately, in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, but especially in the islets of Alegranza and Lobos, every year around this time there have been cases of people who still hunt and eat the chicks of these protected seabirds," says Yarci Acosta, delegate of SEO/BirdLife in the Canary Islands, who points out that "in the rest of the archipelago this illegal practice has also been carried out, but much less frequently.
"The authorities must continue to monitor and prosecute this crime"
"The shearwater is a natural symbol much appreciated by the Canarians. It is a shame that people despise this natural value and insist on maintaining a totally obsolete and unnecessary practice," denounces Yarci Acosta, who considers "that the authorities must continue to monitor and prosecute this crime against wildlife to prevent it from happening again, and must have all the appropriate means to do so."
In this sense, SEO/BirdLife requests "citizen collaboration to report any cases that may occur" and thanks "the work carried out by the Seprona of the Civil Guard and the Environmental Agents of the Canary Islands, who every year reinforce surveillance on the Canary coasts to prevent the plundering of shearwater nests."
Likewise, the conservationist NGO announces that it will appear as a private prosecutor in the criminal proceedings that may result from the complaints and investigations regarding new cases of pardeleo that are detected.
Ornithological attraction
According to SEO/BirdLife, thousands of tourists visit the Canary Islands every year to observe the shearwater and the rest of the seabirds as part of the native culture and as a symbol of their seafaring tradition, "becoming an attraction that complements other tourist activities such as whale watching."
"The shearwater can be considered as one of the most representative seabirds of our seas. Thanks to the million locations, its movements throughout the year are now known in detail, as reflected in the publication 'Migration and spatial ecology of the Spanish populations of shearwater'," they point out from the NGO.
SEO/BirdLife chose the shearwater as bird of the year in 2013. "It is a very delicate protected seabird since it only lays a single egg," they emphasize from the organization, from where they explain that to improve its conservation status and that of other seabirds, SEO/BirdLife leads the LuMinAves project, which covers the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Canary Islands in Spain, and the Azores and Madeira in Portugal and which includes general dissemination and awareness-raising actions that include fighting against threats with pardeleo, but mainly reducing the mortality of the species and the rest of the seabirds due to light pollution.
