Fishing wire traps birds on Alderney rocks

Thursday 26 July 2018

With 10,000 birds clinging to it; Ortac, the rock off Alderney is home to a number of gannets and puffins, with observers saying some are becoming entangled in fishing wire which puts the birds at risk.

One observer has captured some images of one gannet in flight with one leg caught in a discarded fishing net.

John Horten who is the warden of the new Alderney bird observatory said: "We do lose a percentage of birds each year as they get trapped in plastic or discarded fishing lines, however on a whole the colony numbers have been stable for a few years."

He continued: "The gannets are attracted to the bright colours of fishing nets and the plastic as they actually use it for courtship to attract a partner and then line the nesting area. Until we can change fishing practices and the discarding of these items on a commercial level we will always have an issue. However, in my experience I have been amazed at the number of people who go round picking up rubbish and in this respect for our wildlife every bit helps."

On a post in the Guernsey Birdwatching Facebook site, Land Management and Conservation Officer, Jamie Hooper commented on the bird in the photo being lucky, stating: "At least he's still flying free. There are some birds entangled on the rock which can't get free."

Pictured: Photo courtesy of Berni Kerrigan of the gannet with discarded fishing gear on leg

The colonies in Alderney are quite a spectacle to see and more accessible than any other gannet colony as uniquely the full impact of the site can actually be viewed on land. The rock on first appearance looks white, however on closer inspection you see that the colour comes from the density of the breeding birds and their bird poo too.

Mr Horton said: "Alderney is rich in marine and sea life and the seabird programme which includes the ringing of the birds has been ongoing since 1945. We have 10,000 birds breeding on the rocks and space is at capacity. I believe that some birds from our site started a new colony off of the French coast which now has 17,000 birds on. Our birds used to be the most southerly colonies in Europe, but this new site now claims this.

"I am proud to take on the long established ringing of the birds and have been shown by experts in Guernsey the best way to do this so as not to impact them and to do this safely."

The breeding season for the gannets is much longer than other sought after spectacles like the puffins and lasts from February till late September, with some birds even noted present into November some years.

The Gannet colonies on Ortac and Les Etac off Alderney are of particular note as they are the most Southern colonies in the British Isles of the Northern Gannet, which is a sea bird and the largest of the Gannet family. Despite discarded fishing gear being a danger to the birds, the birds are still thriving.