Background:
When first visited by Europeans in the late 19th
century Bird Island was practically covered by Sooty Terns, but by 1967
agricultural developments had limited the nesting area to house only
18,000 pairs.
Subsequent clearance of coconut trees and reduction in egg collection
has now allowed the colony to reach approaching a million pairs, making
it one of the largest colonies in the world and the most easily
accessible to tourists.
Dr Chris Feare, began studying them in 1972 and this long term study is
revealing valuable information about this enigmatic bird. The main
objective of this project is to study the Sooty Tern's breeding and
survival to aid its conservation in relation to the collection of its
eggs.
The Seychellois regard Sooty Tern eggs as a delicacy. Usually about usually three-quarters of a million
eggs are taken annually from a large colony on Desnoeufs Island in the Amirantes. The
harvest forms the basis of a small seasonal industry
and the harvest is controlled by legislation to ensure that the Sooty
Tern population, and thus the future of the egg harvest, is not harmed
by the taking of too many eggs.
The
Seychelles Government is determined that the annual harvest of Sooty
Tern eggs is sustainable, and to this end it is encouraging research to
assess how many eggs can safely be taken and how best to do this.
A major part of the research is being undertaken on Bird Island. Large
numbers of birds, both adults and young are being ringed. In subsequent
years, ringed birds are searched for in the colony. When seen they are
caught and their rings identified in order to discover at what age they
first breed in Seychelles, how long they live, and whether they move
from island to island or they live only in one colony.
Objectives:
The main objectives of this
project are to provide guidelines on the harvesting of sooty tern eggs
in the Seychelles to ensure:
a) Sustainability of the bird
population and thus the annual crop of eggs.
b) Improvement of the harvesting
strategy to increase egg production, to reduce
wastage and to ensure high quality of the eggs trans-shipped to market.
