Menu

Volume 46, No. 2

Search by author or title:

Illegal egg harvesting and population decline in a key pelagic seabird colony of the Eastern Indian Ocean


Authors

RAVICHANDRA MONDRETI1,2, PRIYA DAVIDAR1 & DAVID GRÉMILLET2,3
1Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605014 India (ravichandra.mondreti@gmail.com)
2Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 and CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
3Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, NRF-DST Centre of Excellence at the University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa

Citation

MONDRETI, R., DAVIDAR, P. & GRÉMILLET, D. 2018. Illegal egg harvesting and population decline in a key pelagic seabird colony of the Eastern Indian Ocean. Marine Ornithology 46: 103 - 107
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.46.2.1262

Received 23 December 2017, accepted 27 April 2018

Date Published: 2018/10/15
Date Online: 2018/6/15
Key words: seabird population decline, illegal egg harvesting, Indian Ocean, pelagic seabird colony, Sooty Terns

Abstract

We carried out population counts of a nesting colony of terns (Sternidae) on Pitti Island, an official seabird sanctuary, on 17 February 2013, 10 March 2013, and 10 February 2014. We also assessed population trends over previous years using data from earlier surveys. We estimated the number of nests and eggs, and recorded loss of eggs by predation, including harvesting by fishermen. Using a structured questionnaire, we interviewed 800 respondents from Kavaratti Island in the Lakshadweep Archipelago to assess the number of people involved in seabird egg harvesting and trade, and to evaluate their attitudes towards seabird conservation. We recorded three species of terns: Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus, Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, and Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii, but only Sooty Terns were nesting during our field visits. Levels of natural predation on this species were low (<1%), whereas fishermen removed 14%-45% of the eggs. Approximately 72% of the 800 respondents interviewed on Kavaratti Island were either directly or indirectly involved in the harvest and local trade of seabird eggs. Respondents involved in egg harvesting were significantly less inclined to support seabird conservation. Although Pitti Island is a protected area, tern numbers have declined since 1963. This key breeding site will likely be lost unless stringent conservation measures are implemented to monitor and protect the nesting colony, and to divert the local people away from the seabird egg trade.

References


Arjunan, M., Holmes, C.M., Puyravaud, J.-P. & Davidar, P. 2006. Do development initiatives influence local attitudes towards conservation? Journal of Environmental Management 79: 188-197.

Ballance, L.T. & Pitman, R.L. 1999. Foraging ecology of tropical seabirds. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 22nd International Ornithological Congress, Durban. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa.

Betts, F.N. 1939. The breeding of the Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata in the Laccadives. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 40: 382-387.

Bibby, C.J., Burgess, N.D. & Hill, D.A. 1992. Bird Census Techniques. London, UK: Academic Press.

BirdLife International. 2017. Onychoprion fuscatus (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22694740A110635097. [Available online at: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed 10 June 2017].

Carr, P., 2011. A Guide to the Birds of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Bedfordshire, UK: Pisces Publications. 

Croxall, J.P., Butchart, S.H.M., Lascelles, B. ET AL. 2012. Seabird conservation status, threats and priority actions: a global assessment. Bird Conservation International 22: 1-34.

De Monte, S., Cotté, C., d'Ovidio, F. ET AL. 2012. Frigatebird behaviour at the ocean atmosphere interface: integrating animal behaviour with multi-satellite data. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 9: 3351-3358.

Feare C.J. 1976. The breeding of the Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata in the Seychelles and the effects of experimental removal of its eggs. Journal of Zoology 179: 317-360.

Feare, C.J. 1984. Seabird status and distribution in the tropical Indian Ocean. In: Croxall, J.P., Evans, P.G.H. & Schreiber, R.W. (Eds.) Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds. International Council for Bird Preservation Technical Publication No. 2: 457-471.

Feare, C.J. & Lesperance, C. 2002. Inter- and intra-colony movements of breeding adult Sooty Terns. Waterbirds 25: 52-55.

Feare, C.J., Jaquemet, S. & Le Corre, M. 2007. An inventory of Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) in the Western Indian Ocean with special reference to threats and trends. Ostrich-Journal of African Ornithology 78: 423-434.

Gaston, A.J. & Donaldson, G. 1996. Peat deposits and Thick-billed Murre colonies in Hudson Strait and northern Hudson Bay: clues to post glacial colonization of the area by seabirds. Arctic 48: 354-358.

Holmes, C.M. 2003. Assessing the perceived utility of wood resources in a protected area of Western Tanzania. Biological Conservation 111: 179-189. 

HUME, A.O. 1876. The Laccadive and West Coast. Stray Feathers 4:413-483.

Kurup, D.K.N. & Zacharias, V.J. 1994. Birds of Lakshadweep Islands. Forktail 10: 49-64.

Mannocci, L., Laran, S., Monestiez, P. ET AL. 2014. Predicting top predator habitats in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Ecography 37: 261-278.

Mathew, D.N., Gandhi, T., Santharam, V., Rajan, V.J. & Mathew, G. 1991. Pitti Island, Lakshadweep. An Ornithological Study. Madras, India: Madras Naturalists' Society.

Mathew, D.N., Mathew, G. & Gandhi, T. 1996. Breeding season and conservation of the terns Sterna fuscata and Anous stolidus in the Lakshadweep. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 93: 507-510.

Mondreti, R., Davidar, P., Peron. C. & Grémillet, D. 2013. Seabirds in the Bay of Bengal large marine ecosystem: current knowledge and research objectives. Open Journal of Ecology. 3: 172-184. doi: 10.4236/oje.2013.32021. 

Pande, S., Sant, N.R., Ranade, S.D. ET AL. 2007. An ornithological expedition to the Lakshadweep archipelago: assessment of threats to pelagic and other birds and recommendations. Indian Birds 3: 2-12.

Robertson, A.L.H. 1994. Occurrence of some pelagic seabirds (Procellariiformes) in waters off the Indian subcontinent. Forktail 10: 129-140.

Seneviratne, S.S., Weeratunga, V., Jayaratne, T. & Weerakoon, D. 2015. Brown Noddy Anous stolidus: first breeding record in Sri Lanka. Birding Asia 23: 55-63. 

Thiers, L., Louzao, M., Ridoux, V. ET AL. 2014. Combining methods to describe important marine habitats for top predators: application to identify biological hotspots in tropical waters. PLoS ONE 9: e115057. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115057.

Walsh, P.M., Halley, D.J., Harris, M.P. ET AL. 1995. Seabird Monitoring Handbook for Britain and Ireland. Peterborough, UK: JNCC/RSPB/ITE/Seabird Group.

Search by author or title:

Browse previous volumes: