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The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) on the USA's Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i has secured an Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permit for Newell's Shearwater Puffinus newelli. The utility will now be implementing measures that include removing selected overhead power lines that kill fledglings at night by collisions.

"Nearly all of the world's Newell's Shearwaters (also known by the Hawaiian name ‘a‘o) nest on Kaua‘i.  From 1993 to 2008, the Kaua‘i population of Newell's Shearwaters declined by 75 percent, in large part due to birds striking power lines and becoming disoriented from the utility's streetlights while flying at night."

Newell's Shearwater at sea
Photograph by Eric Vanderwerf

KIUC's ESA permit also requires it to contribute nearly US$400 000 a year to protect shearwater colonies on Kaua‘i's north shore from non-native predators such as rats, cats and owls.

For more news on this development from the American Bird Conservancy click here.

For an earlier news story on this web site on the Endangered Newell's Shearwater click here.  View a video clip of a fledgling being released following a native Hawaiian blessing.

See also the Save our Shearwaters web site.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 September 2011