The “SOS Cagarro” (SOS Cory’s Shearwater) campaign, which took place over the last six weeks, has saved 3712 young Cory’s Shearwater in the Azores, announced the Regional Director for Sea Affairs in Horta on Tuesday.
The information was provided by Frederico Cardigos at the public presentation of the final results of this campaign during a ceremony to celebrate the National Day of the Sea in the Azores which is annually celebrated on November 16.
According to him, the outcome of the campaign that ran from October 1 and November 15 is “extremely positive,” as we know that the actual number of rescued birds in that period of time is higher than the 3712 registered rescues.
The higher number of recues was registered on the islands off São Miguel, Pico and São Jorge whilst the lowest was registered on Graciosa, Santa Maria, Flores and Corvo. In turn, the number of dead Cory’s Shearwaters represented an average of 7% of the rescued birds.
Frederico Cardigos also said that with regard to the 2010 campaign, “there was a much more significant participation than last year,” involving 1,244 active participants and 140 companies.
Furthermore, the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs pointed out the higher number of companies that have agreed to reduce public lighting during this year’s campaign and the increased number of people who volunteered for the night brigades.
In order to better protect these seabirds, the Regional Director defended the increase of nesting areas, the reduction of the predator fauna and of coastal lighting during the “SOS Cagarro” campaign.
“Everything went very well,” Frederico Cardigos stated, adding that the “minor deficiencies” found in this year’s campaign which is emblematic for the Azores will be easily corrected next year.
The estimates presented by the Regional Director for Sea Affairs also indicate that if is done to save Cory’s Shearwaters in the Azores, the largest shearwater population nesting in the northern hemisphere could fall by 30% until 2050.
The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea annually develops the “SOS Cagarro” campaign with the purpose of raising the awareness of the Azorean population for the preservation of this protected species which nests in the Azores.
This campaign began in 1995 and it is divided into two areas – Environmental Education and Nature Conservation – aims to involve people and entities in the rescue of young Cory’s Shearwaters found along the roads and in the surroundings.
The Cory’s Shearwater, whose borealis subspecies nests in the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands and Berlengas, is most abundant seabird in the Azores.
Currently, the estimated population of Cory’s Shearwaters in the Azores is between 500,000 and 700,000, of which 188,000 are breeding couples, corresponding to 60%-65% of the world population of the Calonectris diomedea species and to 75% of the Word population of the Calonectris diomedea borealis subspecies.