The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology announced in Vila Franca do Campo that 4,780 birds were saved during the SOS Cory's Shearwater campaign 2018, which ended Thursday. However, he noted that these figures are preliminary.
Since the beginning of this initiative in 1995, this is the fourth year with the largest record of incidents involving juvenile Cory's Shearwater specimens in the archipelago.
Gui Menezes spoke at Vila Franca Nautical Club on the sidelines of the closing session of SOS Cory's Shearwater campaign that took place on the National Maritime Day. This is the largest environmental conservation and education campaign in the country. Organised consecutively for almost 25 years, the initiative involving hundreds of citizens and dozens of entities across the Region.
For the first time, the Golden Cory's Shearwater prize were awarded this year to distinguish the citizens and entities that contribute the most to the rescue of these seabirds.
According to Gui Menezes, "this symbolic tribute acknowledges the commitment and dedication to this campaign." This year, 24 prizes will be awarded to campaign partners, citizens or groups of volunteer citizens, non-governmental organisations and private entities.
On São Miguel Island, the prizes were awarded to the Public Security Police (PSP), the Amigos dos Açores Association, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) and Luís Noronha Botelho, who saved 85 specimens this year.
The Regional Secretary also stressed the importance of "safeguarding and preserving" the Vila Franca islet natural reserve "as a nesting sanctuary for seabirds, such as the case of the Cory's Shearwater species."
In this context, the government official praised the partnerships with entities such as the Vila Franca do Campo Nautical Club and SPEA in promoting conservation actions for habitats and species on the islet.