IUCN Visits the Mac Puffinus BESTLIFE 2030 Project

The Funchal Ecological Park hosted, on 17 and 18 June, a visit by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the Mac Puffinus BESTLIFE 2030 Project, an initiative coordinated by Funchal City Council for the conservation of the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus canariensis).

The visit aimed to assess progress on the actions carried out, review the project's financial execution, and observe the research, monitoring, and conservation work being conducted for the Manx shearwater. The IUCN delegation was represented by Ivana Thompson, technical officer for the BESTLIFE 2030 programme at IUCN, Lucía Cervilla, representative of the Macaronesia Regional Hub, and Lucien Pirot, the programme's financial officer. João Canning-Clode was present as the director of MARE-Madeira.

The first day featured a presentation of the project's results since its launch, followed by a field visit to the Santa Luzia River study area to observe the work carried out by both the Funchal Ecological Park team and the remaining partners. Highlights of the visit included monitoring of nesting areas, studies on Manx shearwater ecology, and measures implemented to minimise the impacts of invasive species.

On the second day, the delegation met with Paula Jardim Duarte, the councillor responsible for the Environment portfolio at Funchal City Council, for an update on the project's progress and results achieved to date, as well as prospects for the species conservation. For the councillor, "the visit by the IUCN representatives was an opportunity to demonstrate Funchal Municipality's commitment to nature conservation and the protection of natural heritage."

The councillor also highlighted the role of the Ecological Park as a centre for knowledge, research, and conservation, underscoring the importance of the work carried out by the technical team in close partnership with the project partners, which has enabled a deeper understanding of the Manx shearwater and ensured the implementation of measures for its conservation. "The recognition and monitoring by the IUCN reinforces the importance and quality of the work carried out by Funchal Municipality, through the Funchal Ecological Park, within the scope of the Mac Puffinus BESTLIFE 2030 project."

The project is developed by Funchal City Council in partnership with MARE-ARDITI and the University of Barcelona, through the Seabird Ecology Lab, and several partners, including the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), the Cabildo de La Palma, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), Projeto Vitó, Frente MarFunchal, and VMT-Madeira.

The MAC Puffinus LIFE2030 project "Conservation of the Manx Shearwater in Macaronesia" has a duration of 24 months and a budget of €105,152.07 (95% funded by the BESTLIFE2030 programme). It aims to strengthen scientific knowledge on the Manx shearwater through the identification of nesting areas, nest monitoring, implementation of terrestrial predator control, and public awareness-raising, in support of the protection and conservation of seabirds in the Macaronesian region.

Text: Patrícia Chaves

Photo: Tânia Pipa