The City of Reykjavík has requested that the Icelandic Environment Agency declare Akurey Island off the coast of Reykjavík a protected nature preserve. The small island is home to a unique puffin colony. Ornithologists and conservationists have been advocating for the protection of the puffin colony in the island for some time.
Akurey is a small island, measuring just 300 m (0.2 miles) where it is widest, to the west of Reykjavík harbour. The name translates as field island and according to medieval sources the island was home to barley fields owned by the church. The barley fields have been abandoned for centuries, but in the meantime the island has been taken over by birds. The island is home to breeding colonies of eider, arctic tern and puffins. In fact, Akurey is home to one of the largest puffin colonies in West Iceland.
Read more: Unique puffin population of Reykjavík deserves to be protected
According to the City's new Biodiversity Plan (pdf) the island is one of several ecologically important areas within the city which deserve protection due to their importance for the maintenance of animal and plant life within the city.
The puffin colony on Akurey is estimated to number 20-30,000 breeding pairs of puffin, bringing the total number of Puffins in the island (including puffin chicks) close to 100,000 during the breeding season. Any sea bird colony with more than 10,000 breeding pairs is considered a large colony.
A biologist with the city told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the puffin colony in Akurey is unique, as it is one of very few colonies in Faxaflói bay: The city should take all steps to protect this colony.The puffin colonies in South and West Iceland have been under stress in recent years due to changes in the sea around Iceland. Global climate change has changed the behavior of the fish puffins rely on.
The City of Reykjavík has requested that the Icelandic Environment Agency declare Akurey Island off the coast of Reykjavík a protected nature preserve. The small island is home to a unique puffin colony. Ornithologists and conservationists have been advocating for the protection of the puffin colony in the island for some time.
Akurey is a small island, measuring just 300 m (0.2 miles) where it is widest, to the west of Reykjavík harbour. The name translates as field island and according to medieval sources the island was home to barley fields owned by the church. The barley fields have been abandoned for centuries, but in the meantime the island has been taken over by birds. The island is home to breeding colonies of eider, arctic tern and puffins. In fact, Akurey is home to one of the largest puffin colonies in West Iceland.
Read more: Unique puffin population of Reykjavík deserves to be protected
According to the City's new Biodiversity Plan (pdf) the island is one of several ecologically important areas within the city which deserve protection due to their importance for the maintenance of animal and plant life within the city.
The puffin colony on Akurey is estimated to number 20-30,000 breeding pairs of puffin, bringing the total number of Puffins in the island (including puffin chicks) close to 100,000 during the breeding season. Any sea bird colony with more than 10,000 breeding pairs is considered a large colony.
A biologist with the city told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the puffin colony in Akurey is unique, as it is one of very few colonies in Faxaflói bay: The city should take all steps to protect this colony.The puffin colonies in South and West Iceland have been under stress in recent years due to changes in the sea around Iceland. Global climate change has changed the behavior of the fish puffins rely on.
