New project launched to protect puffins and other birds on Ireland’s Eye
A new project has begun to safeguard puffins and other protected birds on Ireland’s Eye, as the number of visitors is on the increase this summer.
Fingal County Council and BirdWatch Ireland are working together on conservation work to save seabirds in the area off the coast of Howth.
“This new project is a great step forward in ensuring the protection of these birds while also ensuring people get to see and enjoy them,” said Brian Burke, Senior Seabird Conservation Officer.
“Irish seabirds are facing a litany of pressures, and we hope the more people who get to see them in their natural nesting habitat, the more people will care about them and help turn their fortunes around.
“The island is a fantastic place to visit to see species like gannets, guillemots, razorbills, and if you’re lucky, some puffins, but also species that some people take for granted like the gulls.”
The measures include signage like ‘Please enjoy the island respectfully, this is their home – we are just visiting’, and using images of the birds to ask visitors to stay within their path.
Fences will be installed in some locations to protect eggs, reduce disturbances and improve the chances of chicks leaving their nest.
Information posts and way markers will point to walking paths around the island along with restricted areas.
The council said the new project is part of a series of actions it has introduced this summer under the Ireland’s Eye Management Plan.
“We hope the conservation measures we’ve introduced this year will help give the island’s breeding birds some space to raise their young, while also improving information and guidance to the visitors to the island,” said Lorraine Bull, Executive Biodiversity Officer with Fingal County Council.
Wardens have also been introduced into the area as part of Fingal Biodiversity’s pilot summer ‘wardening’ programme, along with a new census of the birds with BirdWatch Ireland.
The wardens work with the council to communicate the importance of protecting the birds to visitors, while monitoring them and noting any disturbing behaviour from the public.
Funded with the support of the Local Biodiversity Action Fund from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the feedback from the study will be used to inform future funding for the programme.