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Protecting Seabird Breeding Islands as World Heritage Sites
At its 25th Session in December 2001, the World Heritage Committee inscribed the Brazilian Atlantic Ocean islands of Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas onto its World Heritage List.This adds these two important seabird breeding islands (terns, boobies, frigate birds, tropicbirds) to quite a long list of southern hemisphere oceanic islands that now have World Heritage status. This list includes the sub-Antarctic/cool temperate islands of Gough (UK), Macquarie and Heard & Macdonald (Australia) and Auckland, Campbell, Snares, Bounties and Antipodes (New Zealand), as well as Henderson Island (UK) in the South Pacific. In addition, South Africa will be submitting its sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands for inscription on the World Heritage list in 2004. Also, suggestions have been made to the UK Government for Inaccessible Island (endemic Spectacled Petrel) in the Tristan da Cunha Group to be included within an expanded Gough Island World Heritage site.
The Northerm Hemisphere seems to be lagging in this regard. Perhaps seabird conservationists should start motivating for some northern seabird islands to be inscribed by their countries?
From: John Cooper