The unique puffin population of Reykjavík will finally be granted special protection as Reykjavík City and the Icelandic Environment Agency will make Akurey island a protected bird sanctuary. The island is home to a colony of 40-60.000 adult puffins as well as serving as breeding ground to a number of other seabird species.
According to the Environment Agency the goal is to protect an internationally important seabird colony. Any seabird colony with more than a thousand breeding pairs is considered a large colony.
A safe haven for puffins in the Capital
Akurey-island is one of the islands off the coast of Reykjavík. It is the westernmost island in Kollafjörður fjord, and one of its smallest islands. Akurey is a tiny island, only 300 meters (just 0.2 miles) where it is widest. Despite its small size the island is an important puffin habitat, serving as home to 20-30.000 breeding pairs of puffin each summer. In addition to the puffins a the island attracts a alrge population of Arctic tern each summer.
Historians believe that the island was used for growing barley when the climate conditions were different during the Middle Ages. In recent decades developers and politicians have floated ideas to connect the island to the mainland with landfills in order to build highrises.
A threatened bird
The puffin, which is the most populous bird in Iceland, has been in retreat in recent years. According to BirdLife International the Atlantic puffin is vulnerable to extinction. Climate change and changing conditions in the ocean have caused worrying declines for the puffin population. The survival of the Atlantic puffin in Iceland is critical to the species, as it is estimated that 60% of the world's Atlantic puffins nest in Iceland.
Read more: The Atlantic Puffin is now considered to be facing danger of extinction
The puffin colonies in Western and Southern Iceland have been in retreat for the past few years, while those in Northern Iceland are still going strong. The Akurey colony is one of few colonies in the south and west which has not been showing signs of decline.
The unique puffin population of Reykjavík will finally be granted special protection as Reykjavík City and the Icelandic Environment Agency will make Akurey island a protected bird sanctuary. The island is home to a colony of 40-60.000 adult puffins as well as serving as breeding ground to a number of other seabird species.
According to the Environment Agency the goal is to protect an internationally important seabird colony. Any seabird colony with more than a thousand breeding pairs is considered a large colony.
A safe haven for puffins in the Capital
Akurey-island is one of the islands off the coast of Reykjavík. It is the westernmost island in Kollafjörður fjord, and one of its smallest islands. Akurey is a tiny island, only 300 meters (just 0.2 miles) where it is widest. Despite its small size the island is an important puffin habitat, serving as home to 20-30.000 breeding pairs of puffin each summer. In addition to the puffins a the island attracts a alrge population of Arctic tern each summer.
Historians believe that the island was used for growing barley when the climate conditions were different during the Middle Ages. In recent decades developers and politicians have floated ideas to connect the island to the mainland with landfills in order to build highrises.
A threatened bird
The puffin, which is the most populous bird in Iceland, has been in retreat in recent years. According to BirdLife International the Atlantic puffin is vulnerable to extinction. Climate change and changing conditions in the ocean have caused worrying declines for the puffin population. The survival of the Atlantic puffin in Iceland is critical to the species, as it is estimated that 60% of the world's Atlantic puffins nest in Iceland.
Read more: The Atlantic Puffin is now considered to be facing danger of extinction
The puffin colonies in Western and Southern Iceland have been in retreat for the past few years, while those in Northern Iceland are still going strong. The Akurey colony is one of few colonies in the south and west which has not been showing signs of decline.
