Seabird reserve to protect puffins gets go-ahead

A seabird reserve to protect locally endangered puffins, razorbills and other native wildlife will be built in Jersey.

Planning has been approved by the States of Jersey for the reserve on the north coast.

It will allow a 0.6 mile (1km) fence to be built along the cliffs between the Lecq shooting range and Plemont headland.

It aims to protect puffins and their eggs from predators including rats and ferrets after a dramatic decline in the breeding population to only six birds.

Conservationists Birds On The Edge (BOTE), which submitted the plan, said since 1910 Jersey had lost 99% of its breeding puffin population, 92% of its breeding razorbills and all of its breeding guillemots.

Non-native predators that threaten the species include rats, ferrets and domestic cats.

BOTE consulted on plans for a fence to protect puffins on Jersey's north coast in 2023.

John Pinel, from the group, said: "Puffins been in decline for many years, and we think it's largely to do with the amount of predators up there.

"So the idea is to create a fence on the north coast which will protect not just sea bird colonies, but also colonies of many species of sea birds in Jersey."

Campaigners hope locally extinct breeds such as guillemots and storm petrels could return to the headland.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].