Greenland Seabirds In Decline

Kjeld Hansen 3/11/2002.
A Farewell to Greenland's Wildlife.
Gads Forlag, Copenhagen, Denmark, ISBN 87-89723-01-5

If you are a sentimental person, better not read this account on the massive declines in virtually any wildlife in Greenland, mainly as a result of excessive shooting and drowning. For keen seabirders, however, this is essential reading, so we may be happy that this translation from the Danish book is now available. Birds in decline: all except geese.

Including the complete disappearance of the once largest Arctic Tern colony in the world on Gro/nne Ejland group (50.000-80.000 pairs in 1950, none in 2000; mainly due to constant disturbance and egg-collecting in a RAMSAR site).

Bruennich's Guillemots at the west coast declined from 500.000 birds to less than 10.000 during the last 60 years.

There is quite a few more of those encouraging figures in the book. It is perhaps time to join forces and try to convince local managers that this is perhaps not the most sustainable way of seabird conservation within desginated RAMSAR areas...

Kees Camphuysen