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New Caledonia latest to unveil IBA inventory

12-06-2007

Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie, SCO (BirdLife in New Caledonia) have unveiled their landmark inventory of important habitats for birds and biodiversity in New Caledonia.

Zones importantes pour la conservation des oiseaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie is the result of two and a half years of research, led by SCO’s Jérôme Spaggiari, working alongside other institutions, research institutes and major NGOs involved in biodiversity conservation on the islands.

The colour book offers information on all 32 of the islands’ Important Bird Areas (IBAs), eight of which have specific significance for the presence of colonies of mixed seabirds including boobies, terns, frigatebirds and tropicbirds.

“This book is definitely a great achievement for the SCO and for birds, but also for conservation as a whole in New Caledonia. It will strengthen our capacity to handle major threats to the avifauna but also to sensitise people and particularly local communities,” said Vivien Chartendrault, the new SCO Coordinator.

"This book is definitely a great achievement for the SCO and for birds.." —Vivien Chartendrault, SCO

With the release of the IBA inventory, SCO—supported by the Northern Province, the Packard foundation, the British Birdwatching Fair and Conservation International—are to develop site conservation work at a number of New Caledonia’s IBAs, undertaking practical fieldwork and working with local communities on several IBAs within the New Caledonian lagoons, two forested IBAs of the Grande Terre, and on Ouvéa Island.

Don Stewart, Head of BirdLife's Pacific Division, speaking at the ceremony, applauded the SCO’s achievement: “The SCO must be congratulated as regards an excellent example of how the concentrated efforts of a small, but completely devoted conservation organisation, can greatly influence efforts to save the planet’s most threatened species.”