The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) today called for a three-hour collective blackout on Friday, on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, for the survival of juvenile seabirds.
In a statement, SPEA-BirdLife states that “a darker island may mean more shags reaching the sea safely.”
Therefore, it urges the population, businesses and institutions to switch off unnecessary exterior lighting from buildings between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. The aim is for the blackout to occur at the time when shag juveniles abandon their nests and undertake their first flights to the sea, since lights tend to cause disorientation, leading them to head toward urbanized areas, which poses a danger to their survival.
“Reducing unnecessary exterior lighting during this period is a way to reduce these risks,” emphasizes SPEA.
This society indicates that several entities have already agreed to support the initiative, namely the municipalities of Funchal, Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos and Machico, the INATEL Porto Santo Hotel, Cardoso Group and Quinta da Serra Hotel, and Madeira Airport, reducing exterior lighting during this period.
This symbolic blackout is part of a set of SPEA initiatives to reduce the effects of light pollution on nocturnal biodiversity, with seabird rescue campaigns underway until November 5 that mobilize volunteers to rescue those that strand on land.
It has also created the “Night with Life” award to reward establishments that promote good exterior lighting practices and commit to the conservation of nocturnal biodiversity.
SPEA coordinates the LIFE Natura@night project, co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme, with partners the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Funchal, Santa Cruz, Machico, Santana, Santa Cruz da Graciosa, the Regional Directorate of Maritime Policies, the Institute for Forestry and Nature Conservation, the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, the Canary Islands Technological Institute, ALARED, Fluxo de Luz, and the Spanish Ornithological Society.
