PLANS to create Europe’s first predator-free seabird sanctuary have been submitted by a conservation group in a bid to protect the Island’s six remaining puffins from being wiped out by rats and ferrets.
The £5 million project, which has been put forward by Birds on the Edge, aims to save the much-loved colourful seabirds from extinction in Jersey by establishing a protected area east of Plémont.
A one-kilometre predator-proof fence would be installed along the cliffs below the existing footpath between the clay pigeon shooting club near Grève de Lecq and Plémont headland, if plans are approved.
This safe zone aims to protect the puffins, their eggs and chicks from non-native predators such as rats and ferrets that are present on the cliffs where the puffins breed.
Over 30 other species of seabirds, land birds, mammals, reptiles and insects that are native to Jersey are also expected to be protected by the sanctuary.
It is hoped that locally extinct species like storm petrels and guillemots will return to the area. Birds on the Edge have also pledged to remove the protective fencing in 15 years if biodiversity targets are not met.
The launch of this campaign comes after eight years of ecological research and independent consultations that show Jersey has lost 99% of its breeding puffin population, 92% of its breeding razorbills, and all of its breeding guillemots since 1910.
A feasibility study meanwhile concluded that non-native predators have been one of the main causes of the decline of Jersey’s puffin population, from more than 200 pairs in the 1910s to only six individuals at present.
The study also concluded that a purpose-built fence to keep predators out of the area was the only viable option to safeguard the puffin population and allow it to recover to more sustainable levels.
Birds on the Edge, which aims to support declining species by restoring coastal land, argued that puffins would eventually become extinct in Jersey without intervention.
The organisation’s project officer, Cris Sellarés, said: “Without intervention, there is little chance of recovery for our seabirds.”
She added: “Non-native predators such as rats and ferrets have been found in close proximity to puffin nests and are considered the main threat to the colony’s survival.”
Birds on the Edge, a partnership between the National Trust, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the government’s Natural Environment team, conducted public consultation before submitting the plans.
As well as holding public events and drop-in sessions, the group installed a 15-metre demonstration fence section to show Islanders what it would look like. 92% of over 1,000 respondents who were to asked weigh the preservation of the Island’s puffin colony against the visual impact of the protective fencing required to create a seabird reserve were supportive of the plans.
In response to feedback, the partnership modified initial plans in response to concerns about visual impact and access, including: reducing the fence length from 3km to 1km, repositioning the fence below the footpath, implementing a colour scheme to blend with surroundings and also maintaining public access through designated gates.
“This is about giving nature an opportunity,” Ms Sellarés added.
“We’re asking to use just 0.03% of our island to support local wildlife and protect one of the most important historic breeding grounds of our struggling seabirds.”
The planning application is expected to be published on the Planning Department web portal within three weeks.
