Saturday, January 12, 2013

SCIBERRAS, A., SCIBERRAS, J. & Pisani, L. (2012) Selmunett under siege again! The Malta Independent, December 10th pg 12.


  - Monday, 10 December 2012, 09:09 , by Arnold Sciberras, Jeffrey Sciberras and Luca Pisani, Nature Trust (Malta)
The rats are back! And this time with a vengeance. This story has being going on since the late 90s, but now it’s gotten worse. The Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) is an invasive creature and if left unchecked it may harm local species and delicate ecosystems. One such ecosystem is that of Selmunett Island, better known amongst locals as St Paul`s Island. The island, including its biodiversity, is scheduled as a Special Area of Conservation - Candidate Site of International Importance via Government Notice 112 of 2007, as declared through the provisions of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Regulations of 2006 (Legal Notice 311 of 2006).
Selmunett Island (St Paul Island) was designated as a Nature Reserve via LN 25 of 1993. Il-Gżira ta' San Pawl / Selmunett has also been declared as a Specially Protected Area under the SPA Protocol (Barcelona Convention) since 1986. However, this jewel of an island, so rich in archaeological and natural history, has been left in a disastrous state. One may ask who is responsible. We hate pointing fingers to the authority, but let’s face it, one or the other has to take a step forward. We as public are also to blame because if it is something that is happening at our doorstep,we quickly go complaining but when it is of a national and in this case even an international level we just shut one eye and let things slide. Since the ecological state of the island has reached a critical level further degradation must be stopped immediately.
Our surveys on this island date back to the late 90`s, when the island already had its fair share of rodents, but their existence had not yet taken its toll. However as history has taught us, if these creatures are left unchecked then this island and other similar sites are doomed. The rats succeeded in driving the lizard endemic to Selmunett (Podarcis filfolensis subsp. kieselbachi) to extinction, and now threaten other wildlife.
Efforts from both naturalists and the respective authority had managed to halt the destruction of this species through bait control. Yet now, what were once rodent traps have become little more than accumulated rubbish, and due to a lack of maintenance, the rats have once again taken over, evidently destroying anything in their path. All the work done to control these invaders has been in vain. The French Daffodil (Narcissus tazetta) having been a very common species on the island, as well as one of particular interest (since it was observed by the authors to flower slightly before those of the mainland) lately seems to be decreasing in numbers.
The extensive digging habit of the rodents, clearly shown by the large amount of holes that cover the island, is a great hint to the fact that they dig up and gnaw on the underground bulbs and roots of the French Daffodil and other herbaceous species. After the attempts of rodent eradication, some species such as the Turkish and Moorish geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus &Tarentola mauritanica) were augmenting back, but ultimately they also started to fall prey to the rats once again. Besides numerous burrowed holes, their faeces is everywhere, and their sightings have increased so drastically that even the un-trained eye can easily spot these creatures, and one must watch out who crosses the footpaths first!
To make things worse, rats are not only the ecological aliens on the island. Attempts to eradicate the foreign cactus Opuntia stricta, a smaller relative of the Prickly Pear (Opunita ficus-indica), have also proven to be a waste of time, since the uprooted stems of Opuntia strictawhere not removed from the island, but left on the ground. With such a great tendency for the majority of succulents to root themselves easily, the left-overs formed plants of their own, and ironically, this aided and not diminished their numbers on the island. Like all succulents, Opuntia stricta can smother any native species of plant. Another alien succulent species left unchecked on the island is the American Agave (Agave americana), which has already conquered its own patch of ground. This is a massive species not to be reckoned with, and if left to its own devices, the island will end up with a similar fate to Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. Another note, this time from a historical point of view, is that the farmhouse which symbolises human existence on the island is in great need of restoration, as in the last decade it has almost completely fallen apart. This structure, if properly restored, could well be used as an observation centre on the island and its wildlife!
There may be still some hope of saving the island, but words alone are not enough. If we truly want the island to remain a Special Area of Conservation - Candidate Site of International Importance, then let’s take action before it’s too late!

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