RECOVERY OF LARUS AUDOUINIIIN THE VALENCIAN REGION

(2002 - 2006)

LIFE PROJECT CONSERVATION OF Larus audouinii IN THE VALENCIAN REGION (LIFE02NAT/E/8608)

SUMMARY

The activities carried out in theframework of the LIFE projectConservation of Larus audouinii in theValencian region from 2003 to 2006have contributed to the conservationand establishment of new coloniesof Audouin’s gull in the followingZEPAs of the Valencian region:Columbretes islands, Benidorm rockyisland, the Albufera lake and theReservoirs of La Mata and Torrevieja.In the present project, co-financed bythe European Commission and theGeneralitat Valenciana, the followingact ions have been performed:

· Breeding of Larus audouinii gullhas been favoured in theColumbretes island colony.

· With a view to reinforcing themetapopulation of this species in thewestern Mediterranean – 75% of thetotal population - a breeding colony inthe Benidorm rocky island has beenestablished trough co-ordinated effortswith other administrations.

· The protagonism of the species hasbeen increased both at regional andnational level.

· The new breeding coloniesestablished during the project’s lifein the Albufera and la Mata andTorrevieja reservoirs have been

monitored and managed.

The organisation in charge of the projecthas been

Consellería de Territorio yVivienda de la GeneralitatValenciana

Servicio de Conservaciónde la Biodiversidad

C/ Francesc Cubells, 746011 VALENCIAtel. 961973500

http://www.cma.gva.es/areas/estado/biodiversidad/bio/Fauna/gaviota/home.html

Project duration: from september 1st2002 to november 30 2006.

Budget: 815.653 €.

Cofinanced on a 60% basis by theEuropean Commission, 40% by theGeneralitat Valenciana

The largest part of the world population of Larus audouinii isconcentrated around a single colony on a restricted area, (Puntade la Banya colony in the Ebro Delta). Any kind of random eventaffecting this colony can seriously compromise the future of thisgull species in the world. Additionally, the closeness of this largecolony to the Columbretes islands greatly influences it, so thatany kind of disturbance affecting the firs will also affect the second.

The number of breeding pairs in the last years in the Columbretesislands can be considered very close to the minimum viable size,by which the colony is able by itself to recruit new individuals andto fight competing species such as the Yellow-legged Gull (Larusmichaellis). On the year the project was set going the number ofbreeding pairs of Larus audouinii in the Columbretes Islands andthus, in the whole Valencian region, was 30.

There is no colony to act as a stepping stone between theColumbretes islands and the Illa Grossa in the Murcia region, withthe Ebro Delta colony acting as a powerful magnet for the fewbreeding individuals of the Valencian archipelago.

Sea birds and particularly Larus audounii are dependent on fishdiscarded by fishing fleets. The trawler fleet of the coastal areasclose to the Columbretes archipelago makes an two monthecological stop which overlaps in time with the breeding seasonfor the Audouin’s Gull, therefore negatively influencing its breedingsuccess. Besides, the paucity of this resource makes seabirdfocus on other available food sources, such as fish trapped onfishing lines with multiple hooks. This results in Audouin’s gullsaccidentally being trapped in hooks and ultimately in an increaseof the mortality rate of this endangered seabird.

There is a paucity of knowledge of the Valencian people concerningthe importance of the Audoin’s gull as part of the natural heritageof the Valencian region.

The Yellow-legged gull (Larus michaellis) competes with theAudouin’s gull for nesting places. Predation of eggs as well aschicks of Audouin’s gull can negatively affect the establishmentand productivity of its colonies.

THE PROBLEM

HOW TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM?

The drafting and implementation of a recovery plan for Larus audouinii which summarisesconservation actions to be carried out in the middle and long term to put the species out of thedanger of extinction in the Valencian region is required.

Social facilitation of breeding and hacking actions are urgently required, so as to allow therecovery of the Columbretes colony and the establishment of new colonies in the Benidorm rockyisland and the La Mata and Torrevieja reservoirs.

To avoid accidental trapping of gulls by fising lines it is necessary to develop a mechanism ableto increase the sinking rate of this fishing devices.

Social communication programme has to be set going, focused on the community of fishermenand other stake holders involved in the conservation of the species. Disseminating material hasto be published, including brochures, a web page, posters, stickers, t-shirts and teddy gulls.

The coordinated management of the metapopulation system between different colonies locatedin different regions under different administrations is required, namely between Catalonia, theValencian region and Murcia.

THE RESULTS:ENVIROMENTAL ANDSOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS

On the 24th of July 2005 the Decree 116/2005 by whichthe regional government sanctions the recovery planfor the Audouin’s gull was passed in the Valencianregion.

The recovery plan has three main goals:· Guarantee the permanence of the Columbretes breeding colony as well as those of the Albufera and La Mata and Torrevieja· Promote de establishment of new colonies of the species in the Valencian region· Guarantee that suitable conditions for wintering of the species and for pre- and postnuptial movements exist in the coastal areas of the Valencian region

The recovery plan is focused on the areas that at the timeof writing sheltered colonies of the species that is, theAlbufera, the Benidorm rocky islands, the Tabarca islandand the La Mata-Torrevieja reservoirs. Nevertheless, everyarea in which the species might eventually settle in theValencian region territory will be automatically included inthe scope of the recovery plan.

The Action plan for seabirds of the Valencian regionwas also drafted. Concerning the Audouin’s gull, the plandescribes its current status both at regional and world level.The habitat, feeding habits, breeding pattern, winteringbehaviour and sanitary status of the species are analysed.The legal protection figures at European, national andregional level are discussed. The different threats affectingthe species are also dealt with in the document, particularlythe mortality in fishing devices, environmental variation,interactions with the yellow-legged gull, disturbance andinterference with its activities by men and transformationof vegetation brought about by breeding activity of thespecies in colonies. The conservation status of the speciesas well as its fragility and vulnerability are also dealt with.Finally the role of the different conservation actionsimplemented at the time of drafting the action plan are alsoevaluated. As a result different conservation measures foreach threat are put forward. The recovery action plan alsosuggest a monitoring programme to control the efficiencyof actions to be undertaken.

In the framework of social facilitation and hacking activitiesa total of 176 chicks of the species from the Ebro Deltacolony have been released in the wild (102 in Benidormand 74 in Columbretes). Many of these chicks have returnedor will do so in the future to the colonies where they werereleased. Irrecoverable individuals have also been movedto the colonies so as to rouse breeding instincts of wildspecimens. Decoys mimicking the species fitted with soundemitting devices have also been placed.

THE RESULTS: ENVIROMENTAL ANDSOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Research and development works have been focusedon the design of a tool to accelarate sinking of fishinglines traditionally used in the region.

A social communication programme has also beenundertaken with a focus on the conservation of the Audouin’sgull in the Valencian region. This programme is based onsociological studies of stakeholders involved in theconservation of the species and establishes guidelines toincrease the protagonism of the species and for theelaboration of dissemination and didactic material: threetravelling exhibitions, an illustrated tale on the gull forkids, teddy gulls for the seamen, a dvd explaining projectobjectives coordinated with the Catalan partners, a webpage, stickers, posters, t-shirts and a cap. The projectis also disseminated through appearances in regional tvprogrammes.

THE RESULTS: ENVIROMENTAL ANDSOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS

A high number of coordination meetings has been madethroughout the project between technical staff of Catalunya, theValencian region and Murcia, allowing for exchange of experiencesand channelling a constant flow of information and know-how.Both the Valencian region and Catalonia have establisheddatabases for the coordinated management of information.

The populations of Yellow-legged gull (Larus michaelis) havebeen stabilised both in Columbretes and Benidorm, by meansof population control techniques consisting in egg removal, egg-prickling, installation of physical barriers to avoid nesting,harassment and direct removal of chicks and adults.

The results of the research work undertaken during the projecthave been published in different international scientific journalsamong which: Animal biodiversity and conservation, Journalof animal ecology and also in dissemination journals at nationallevel like Quercus.

The project has allowed a net increase of Audouin’s gull populationin the Valencian region from 28 couples and one colony in 2003to 417 breeding couples and 4 colonies in 2006.