Redonda was once a volcanic island that was part of Antigua and Barbuda. It had been mined to produce guano (seabird excrement) for fertiliser. Redonda’s mining operations ceased at the beginning of the First World War. The miners left behind rats and goats, which over the years stripped the island of its vegetation. The soil and rocks slid into sea, damaging reefs and seagrass, and making it dangerous to enter the island. They used a rodenticide first to eliminate the rats without harming other biodiversity. They then captured and transported by helicopter the small population goats off the island. Most of them were starving because of the lack of food in Redonda. Native grasses and trees grew back. Seabirds such as brown boobies, (Sula aethereus), and red-billed tropical birds (Phaethon leucogaster), recolonized this island. Conservation experts working to restore Redonda report that the critically endangered Redonda ground Dragon (Ameivaatrata) population has increased 13-fold since 2017. “But we saw changes really fast.”
EAG staff will be monitoring Redonda Island by June 2022. Image: Olivier Raynaud
The government of Antigua and Barbuda established the Redonda Ecosystem reserve this month, after the successful restoration of Redonda. The reserve covers an area of nearly 30,000 hectares (74,000 acre) of land and water, an area that is a quarter of the size of Rome.
Redonda ground Dragon on Redonda Island, Antigua and Barbuda. Image: Ed Marshall/Fauna & Flora
In many other places, such as French Polynesia Tonga, South Africa, and Tonga, invasive species have been removed to restore islands. Science also supports the effectiveness of this method. Daltry says that without vegetation, the island and surrounding sea were crumbling into the ocean, destroying the reefs and seagrass meadows. “But we should also see the pressure on coral reefs and seagrass meadows decrease.” When you remove rats from an island, seabirds recover and we can see this already,” Daltry says. There’s a very close connection between the condition of the fish and the state the seabirds.” Hill says that the most exciting thing about Redonda being restored and established as a protected area, is seeing “Antiguans and Barbudans falling in love with Redonda and being at the forefront of conservation actions.” “And I’m excited and proud of my team who are Antiguans or Barbudans.” This article is republished by Mongabay, under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Main Image: Seabirds nesting in Redonda Island. Credit: Ed Marshall/Fauna & FloraYou are the solution Positive News needsOur small and dedicated team is passionate about creating a better alternative to negative news media. Our mission has never been more urgent. But to produce the solutions journalism the world craves, we need funding. We work for you, not for a media mogul or a corporate owner. That’s why we ask readers to support our team by becoming a Positive News Supporter. Donate once as little as PS1 or join 1,200+ other people who give an average of PS3 per month.
How an island in the Caribbean Sea can be seen as a restoration role model, from rat-ridden to reserve
Positive News was the first to publish the article The desolate island that became a rewilding success.
