The EU approved an international protection plan for the Yelkouan Shearwater: Cyprus plays a key role

According to BirdLife Cyprus, in 2025 the European Union approved a new International Action Plan for the conservation of the Yelkouan Shearwater. The document was prepared by BirdLife International together with BirdLife in Portugal (SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves) and represents an important milestone in the protection of the species, based on the most current and reliable scientific data.

The plan consolidates information from 15 countries, including Cyprus, and provides detailed coverage of the species' distribution, the threats it faces, and clearly defines priorities for its conservation. One of the key priority areas is located in Cyprus.

According to the organization, at the northeastern tip of the Karpasia Peninsula, on the rocky islets of Kleides, lies the island's only breeding colony of the Yelkouan Shearwater. This site is critically important not only for Cyprus's seabirds but also for the conservation of the species throughout the Mediterranean.

BirdLife Cyprus notes that since 2007, data has been systematically collected there in cooperation with the Turkish-Cypriot conservation organization Kuşkor. Although active nests and young birds are still observed in the colony, long-term monitoring indicates a decline in the population.

"This makes the protection of the colony more necessary than ever," the organization emphasizes.

According to BirdLife Cyprus, the new International Action Plan transforms accumulated scientific knowledge into coordinated and targeted measures. For Cyprus, it becomes a key tool for securing the future of the Yelkouan Shearwater on the Kleides — home to the world's easternmost breeding colony of this species.