WCS in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands

Scenic, wild and isolated, inhabited only by vast numbers of breeding seabirds and small endemic landbirds that show no fear of humans, the Jason Islands are among the world’s last true wildlife treasures. In the year 2000, with a view to expanding conservation efforts in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, WCS accepted the donation of Steeple and Grand Jason Islands, part of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. In doing so, WCS became directly responsible for the protection of the largest colony of black-browed albatrosses in the world, with over 170,000 pairs, plus smaller colonies of three species of penguins, two species of petrels, and other wildlife. WCS’s Jason Islands project ties in closely with our conservation efforts in coastal Patagonia and the Southwest Atlantic. We have been protecting wildlife and wildlands in the region since the 1960s.

The Human Aspect
The islands in the northwest Falklands/Malvinas have few inhabitants. However, the surrounding waters are subject to increased fishing pressure. WCS is working closely with Falklands Conservation, an NGO based in Stanley, and the people of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands to protect what is recognized as one of the most important wildlife sites in the islands.

Threats
Like those that breed on the shores of Patagonia, the wildlife of the Jason Islands feed in the Southwest Atlantic and are subject to similar threats. The main threat to wildlife comes from the ocean. Poor management of the Southwest Atlantic ecosystem has resulted in over-exploitation of fish stocks by growing commercial fisheries. To date, insufficient understanding of the ecosystem, lack of integrated management and planning, and weak law enforcement have precluded long-term conservation. Recent die-offs of seabirds at sea raise worrisome questions regarding management of the Southwest Atlantic. An active conservation program on Steeple Jason will contribute to our understanding of the system and the threats. It will also help control visits to the islands, which can harm wildlife through accidental fire and disturbance of breeding colonies.

WCS Activities
WCS constructed a field station on Steeple Jason in 2003 to provide a base for the conservation program. Surveys of the islands are being conducted to obtain a general evaluation of wildlife present. Long-term research based at the islands will contribute substantially to our understanding of the South Atlantic ecosystem, and provide clues to its conservation. In 2002, over 10,000 black-browed albatross fledglings were marked by researchers from Falklands Conservation on Steeple Jason. Marked birds were subsequently identified off the southeastern coast of South America. Efforts such as these are informing and improving wildlife conservation across the region. WCS is engaging the Falklands/Malvinas community, including members of the Board of Governors and Falklands Conservation, in discussions concerning wildlife conservation objectives for the Jason Islands.

Important Next Steps

• Develop a research program on Steeple Jason Island aimed at the long-term survival of marine birds, especially the large colony of black-browed albatross.
• Establish and guide the Jason Islands Conservation Committee (JICC) to oversee conservation research and management on the Jasons.
• Develop a presence on Steeple Jason during the breeding season, to control insensitive visits to the breeding colonies, and establish and distribute visitor regulations.