When sailing through this area, mariners are also required to comply with Notice to Mariners No 44 of 2020, which stipulates that they decrease the velocity of their vessels so that they do not disturb the shearwaters resting on the sea surface.

“Malta is home to 2% of the global population of this seabird – between 3,000 and 4,000 pairs of Scopoli, of which 1,000 breed in this area of Gozo.”

“This mysterious seabird spends its life on the water and returns to land only to nest. It is easily recognised by its greyish-brown back, white belly and yellow bill.”

“Scopoli’s Shearwaters are known for the way they congregate in large groups known as rafts during their breeding season, when they can be observed flying low over the water, waiting for sundown, before they return to the cliffs to their nests.”

“This natural phenomenon provides a beautiful spectacle which repeats itself for the duration of the breeding season of these birds, peaking in June and July.”

This is one of the main characteristics of this bird which we see shearing the waves at this time – a characteristic aptly describing its name ‘shearwater’.

“Scopoli’s Shearwaters lay only one egg per year, and this is why it is crucial that this seabird is well protected because if the egg is lost, the population of this Vulnerable protected seabird will continue to decline.”

The Scopoli’s Shearwater currently faces various challenges including predation, development and light pollution, and the population of this Vulnerable protected seabird will continue to decline.

Presently BirdLife Malta is leading a scientific study on another seabird which breeds in Malta and which is endemic to the Mediterranean – the Yelkouan Shearwater (Maltese name: Garnija).

This bird is another seabird species which breeds on several cliffs in the Maltese Islands and the LIFE PanPuffinus! project – a five-year-long collaboration between BirdLife Partners from five countries (Malta, France, Greece, Portugal and Spain) and locally the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture – is working to improve the conservation status of this bird which is under threat.

The project is addressing two main threats these seabirds meet throughout their entire life cycle: predation by invasive mammal species on land, and accidental capture by fishing gear (bycatch) at sea.

“We call on members of the public to do their part to decrease the dangers seabirds face by ensuring they don’t leave trash in the countryside, which in turn leads to an increase in rats,” BirdLife Malta appealed. 

“On the other hand, we encourage fishers to contact BirdLife Malta so that together we can find solutions to the bycatch problem through several measures and initiatives which can be adopted.”

The €3.45 million LIFE PanPuffinus! project is co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union (EU) and Malta’s Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights.

Photography credit: Aron Tanti, BirdLife Malta

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