The Cabildo de Tenerife, together with Excelencia Turística de Tenerife, have launched a awareness campaign with tourist accommodation on the effects of nighttime overlighting and its effects on Cory’s shearwater coloniesin such a way that it can collaborate to help these birds in their first flight.
In this sense, the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) breeds in the Canary Islands, being the most abundant seabird that only goes to the coast to reproduce and breeds in cliffs, ravines and midlands.
Between October and November of each year, they leave their nest, at which time the young birds, on their first flight to the sea, are dazzled by the lighting of coastal developments and fall disoriented.
In a press release, the Island Corporation has indicated that this Monday the initiative will be presented The first tripwhich aims to achieve the involvement of the sector and improve lighting conditions in tourist and leisure areas.
“The involvement of the tourism sector is fundamental in order to contribute to protecting the departure of the shearwater chicks to the sea on their first flight,” said the Minister of Natural Environment Management and Security, Isabel García.
In addition, he recalled that from the Cabildo, and through the La Tahonilla Wildlife Recovery Center, and with the help of groups of volunteers, NGOs, local police, last year “3,351 shearwaters were rescued, the largest number of all the editions carried out to date, of which 95.5% could be released and guided to their natural habitat, which is the sea, after that first failed flight”.
Hotels interested in joining and being recognized within the initiative must meet basic criteria that fall into three groups: the adoption of protection measures within their facilities, dissemination of the Cory’s shearwater problem and information and awareness to customers and personal.
These actions must be verified externally, prior to the start of the protection campaign for this species, which takes place between the months of October and November, and especially on the nights when the first flights of the chickens are concentrated.
Meanwhile, the membership and distinction program is initially progressive, so that the criteria to be met by the member hotels are developed during a cycle of three annual campaigns.
It is an initiative that, although initially focused on the problem of shearwaters, does not give up becoming a practical instrument to generate general awareness about the protection of birds in the accommodation sector, including over time other good practices to the protection of birds.
