SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife will launch the campaign to collect juvenile Cory’s shearwaters on October 23.
The initiative of the Natural Environment area, in which the Office of Environmental Participation and Volunteering collaborates, is coordinated by the Wildlife Recovery Center ‘La Tahonilla’ and aims to rescue juvenile specimens of injured shearwaters that fall disoriented on their first night flight dazzled by the flashes of the lights near the coast.
The insular director of Medio Natural, Pedro Millán, participated in the coordination meeting that was held this week with representatives of different groups that collaborate in the campaign.
“This is a fundamental initiative to care for Cory’s shearwaters, a seabird that faces serious conservation problems such as the destruction of breeding habitat, introduced predators, fishing interaction, plastics in the sea and light pollution. Due to This last issue, a high number of juvenile shearwaters, especially on new moon nights, lose their way towards the sea and fall to the ground, being unable to take flight on their own. In some cases, some of them suffer injuries. that must be treated in La Tahonilla,” he comments in a note.
Pedro Millán calls on citizens “to collaborate in the campaign together with the rest of the administrations and entities, in which Civil Protection associations play a fundamental role.”
In his opinion, “citizen participation is essential for success in the rescue.”
In that sense, the insular director of Natural Environment appreciates the initiative of the tourist establishments in the north and south of the island “that dim their lights to avoid dazzling the specimens.”
Along these lines, he details that “they have gradually been incorporated into the campaign through the Association of Tourism Excellence and the objective is for them to continue joining.”
The Atlantic population of Cory’s 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.
This protected species is one of the largest seabirds in Spain and the largest shearwater in Europe. It is migratory, although it breeds and resides on the coasts of the islands most of the year (from February to November).
COLLABORATION OF CITY COUNCIL
The campaign has the collaboration of the city councils, Local Police, Seprona of the Civil Guard, Civil Protection Groups, Cecopal of Santa Cruz and the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (Cecoes).
Likewise, different volunteer entities collaborate such as ADAE, AEA, QRV Canarias Emergencies, SEO/BirdLife, Red Cross, ECAN, Asociación In Situs, Rumbo Zydae and Asociación Excelencia Turistica. In addition, the staff of the Insular Operational Coordination Center (Cecopin), Natural Spaces Guards and the Environmental Participation and Volunteering Office of the Cabildo also collaborate.
The Cabildo reminds that if an injured wild animal is located, it should not be administered water, food or medicine and should contact the ‘La Tahonilla’ Wildlife Recovery Center, located at kilometer 0.4 of the TF-24 (La Esperanza highway), by calling 900 282 228.
After the first talk held this week, a volunteer training day will be held on Tuesday in Adeje and on Tuesday the 24th in ‘La Tahonilla’.
The Cory’s shearwater collection campaign, which is in its twenty-fifth year this year, will end in mid-November.
