Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Bios Cabo Verde Association (Bios.CV), which works with censuses and protection of seabirds and birds of prey, has warned about threats such as predation by cats, unsustainable fishing, and habitat loss resulting from tourism and urban development.
This information comes from Ruben Tacula, camp coordinator and bird technician at Bios.CV, regarding the situation observed by the association, highlighting the importance of ongoing actions, especially on Boa Vista Island and its islets.
One of their concerns is preventing the common gull [Pandion haliaetus] from facing the same decline seen in the past with vultures on the island.
As part of a seabird conservation project, focusing on the Cory’s shearwater [Calonectris edwardsii], with concentrations on islets such as Curral Velho and other nesting areas, the technician indicated that the greatest threat is human activity, particularly predation by cats, classified as an “invasive species,” which are killing the birds and compromising colonies. Birds of prey still face problems stemming from fishing, such as low levels of fish in the sea, which constitutes their food source, forcing gulls to move away from their habitats.
Tourism development and real estate projects, such as those planned for Ponta do Sol, which are approaching areas where a colony exists, have also been identified as causes leading to habitat loss, disturbing and exposing the birds to rodents and cats.
The organization, which counts the number of birds for monitoring purposes, indicated that they place traps to capture and remove cats from nesting and breeding sites as a form of protection and conservation.
Bios.CV, within its work of raising awareness and conserving these species essential to the biodiversity of Cape Verde, appeals for collaboration between the authorities, the community, and tourism developers to find sustainable development solutions that protect the country’s birdlife, recognized by BirdLife International as an “endemic area for birds”.
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