Every year, in Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands, light pollution leads to hundreds of juvenile seabirds becoming disoriented, and ending up stranded in cities. This year, as last year, on the 30th of October, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) promotes a Mega-blackout in Madeira, to make the night safer for seabirds and show the impact of excessive artificial light on this endangered animal group.
Between 20:00 and 23:00 (the most critical time, when juvenile shearwaters leave their nests), with the help of several municipalities in the region, public lighting will be turned off in several coastal areas. SPEA and other partners of the LIFE Natura@night project, under which the Mega-Blackout takes place, also invite Madeirans to join this initiative, turning off the outdoor lighting of their homes and buildings during the Mega Blackout. To save even more birds, they recommend that people turn off or dim all outdoor lighting until the 15th of November.
In a statement, Cátia Gouveia, coordinator of SPEA Madeira and the LIFE Natura@night project believes:
“With this blackout, for one night we will create a safe path in the sky so that birds can safely fly towards the sea. But more than that, we will demonstrate that by reducing excessive artificial lighting everyone can save a birds life.”
The LIFE Natura@night project also challenges managers of hotel and commercial establishments to adopt good practices in their lighting, awarding the Noite Com Vida Award to establishments that help make the night safer for birds.
On the 29th of October, 12:30 pm, a press conference will take place at the Jesuit College, with experts from the European Commission who will be in the region to meet with the consortium and monitor the implementation of the LIFE Natura@night project. This visit by the European Commission, which will cover the 29th and 30th aims to share good practices and promote pioneering actions adopted in the region to reduce light pollution.
The LIFE Natura@night project is co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme, coordinated by SPEA, and has as partners the Municipality of Câmara de Lobos, the Municipality of Funchal, the Municipality of Santa Cruz, the Municipality of Machico, the Municipality of Santana, the Municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa, the Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies, the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands, ALARED, Fluxo de Luz and the Spanish Society of Ornithology.
A great initiative that we can all take part in.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
