BirdLife Malta, along with eight other non-government and government entities yesterday launched the Yelkouan Shearwater Project, a conservation project at Rdum tal-Madonna in Mellieha.

The Yelkouan Shearwater, a distant relative of the albatross, is a habitué of the zone since a third of the Maltese colony breeds on these cliffs. Helen Raine, project manager, said 15,000 pairs breed in the Maltese islands, that is 10 per cent of the world population of the species.

The project includes a management plan for the site, satellite tagging and population monitoring of the birds and setting up a marine special protection area. The birds are threatened by illegal dumping, rat predation, loss of breeding spaces, light pollution, illegal practices such as hunting and may also get caught during long line fishing.

Ms Raine said the project aims to protect the birds, improve the site for visitors and wildlife and set an example for Malta and Europe.

John J. Borg, Curator of the Natural History within Heritage Malta, said the Yelkouan Shearwater visits land only on dark nights, therefore it would not approach land in highly-lit areas.

The Yelkouan Shearwater arrives in Malta in October and lays a single egg between the end of February and the beginning of March. Both male and female contribute to the incubation process until the egg hatches in May. The birds desert their nests by mid-July and moult their feathers in August and September.

Mr Borg said little is known about the Shearwaters’ travelling habits and where it finds its food. The project, he said will enable researchers to track the birds’ movements and identify feeding areas via data logging and satellite tracking.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the inauguration of the project is a tangible sign of the EU’s challenge to translate its work into higher quality of life for its citizens. While asserting the government’s support for the initiative, he thanked all organisations involved in the project.

The euro 1 million project was half-financed by the European Commission, while HSBC and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority also contributed. Other partners included the Malta Maritime Authority, the Armed Forces of Malta, the Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences, Heritage Malta, Birdlife Malta, RSPB UK and SPEA Portugal.

Site walks can be booked by phoning on tel.: 2134-7644.