The case in summary Bird experts demand action against tourists who disturb the birdlife on Runde. Bird watcher Ingar Støyle Bringsvor reported a boat driver to the police after seeing him driving through a flock of seabirds. Campsite owner Knut Asle Goksøyr has noticed a declining respect for nature among tourists. The puffin population at Runde has almost halved since 1980, but is now on the way up again. Birdlife Norway wants a supervisor to have better control over what is happening in the area. The state administrator in Møre og Romsdal is looking at how the protection at Runde can be upgraded, and new rules may be introduced. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. More and more tourists come to see all the birds at Runde, such as puffins and sea eagles. Runde is Norway’s southernmost large bird mountain, and the bird life here is preserved. This means that it is not allowed to disturb the birds. Not everyone cares about that. – It’s the wild west out here, says bird watcher Ingar Støyle Bringsvor. Driving through a flock of birds In July, he witnessed a boat driving through a flock of seabirds in the bird conservation area. He filmed what happened, and together with the organization Birdlife Norway, he reported the boat driver to the police. – If you come at that speed, there is a great danger that you will either injure a bird or hit a whole bird when you hit them with the boat. Bird watcher Ingar Støyle Bringsvor is upset that people disturb the birds on Runde. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Collect baby birds in a bucket Knut Asle Goksøyr has run the campsite for 50 years and has never had so many guests as this summer. He has noticed a change among those who come. – Respect is probably declining, or understanding of nature is declining, I would say. Goksøyr has many examples: birthday parties, barbecue parties and choir practice have been arranged on the edge of the bird mountain. People drink, smash bottles and sunbathe. Earlier this summer, something happened that made him very upset. – A mother came into the reception with a whole laundry bucket of baby birds that she had collected together with her children. Bird parents do not want back chicks that have a human smell on them, or that have been out of the nest area for a long time. Knut Asle Goksøyr Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news The puffin population almost halved In the mid-1960s there was a dizzying amount of wildlife on Runde. Then there were large colonies of the around 70 different species that nested there. At most there were around 100,000 pairs of puffins on the island, but much has changed. According to the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research, cormorants, common cormorants and common cormorants have all but disappeared. The puffin population has almost halved since 1980, but now the population is on the way up again. – Now there are chicks in five or six out of ten nests, and it’s a pretty good season, says Bringsvor. A puffin chick is immediately ready to leave the nest. Bird observer Bringsvor measures and weighs the chicken to map how the stock is doing. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Wants a caretaker It is not the first time someone has been reported for not looking after the birds. In 2019, a guide company had to pay a fine of NOK 100,000 for driving a boat into a flock of birds. In order to have better control over what happens in the area, Birdlife Norway will have a supervisor. – We want such a central protected area as Runde to be prioritized, with permanent staff in season, who can be present and give guidance to tourists, and intervene when the rules are not followed, says case manager Alv Ottar Folkestad. This was the case before, but the scheme was discontinued. The gannets dominate on the mountain side. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Can’t promise anything At the State Administrator in Møre og Romsdal, they can’t promise anything. But they are starting work where they are looking at how the protection at Runde can be upgraded. The reason is that a lot has changed since the bird conservation area was established in 1981. – We have to look at it again, both when it concerns birds, but also when it concerns various types of vegetation that are threatened, says deputy director Ulf Lucasen. When they have arrived at what needs more protection, there may be new rules on the island. Examples could be a speed limit on the sea at the bird’s mountain, that it may be illegal to go to certain places on the mountain, or a ban on camping. It is up to the government. – Far too many disturbances The police state that they have not started the investigation into the reckless driving in July due to the holiday period. Bird observer Bringsvor hopes this is the last time he has to report people to the police. – I hope there will be consequences, primarily for those who did it. But not least that the threshold for doing such a thing will be much higher. As things stand now, there are far too many disturbances here. Most people stay on the path on the mountain and follow the rules. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Published 06.08.2024, at 08.55
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People are disturbing the birds at Runde – Birdlife Norway wants a supervisor who can intervene – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
