– Two people are said to have gone ashore at dusk and destroyed nests and broken eggs. It bears the mark of being a well-planned action, says seabird manager Jan Helge Kjøstvedt in Bird Life (formerly the Norwegian Ornithological Association). In the last two years, significantly fewer birds have nested on the Bergshaven islets in Lillesand. This year, the population of the red-listed bird species hooded gull and mackerel tern is completely gone from the islets. Bird Life Aust-Agder believes this is due to environmental crime on the islets. This causes the state’s wildlife inspectorate to react. – If this is true, it is a serious breach of the Natural Diversity Act. It’s of a character I don’t remember hearing about in the east of Agder, says Arild Pfaff, at the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate. The bird conservationists have reported the case. According to Lillesands-Posten, the municipality is considering doing the same. Arild Pfaff in the state’s nature inspection, believes that serious violations of the Natural Diversity Act may have been committed. Photo: Geir Ingar Egeland / news A count of the nests on the islets carried out by the State Administrator in Agder in collaboration with the State Nature Inspectorate and Bird Life Aust-Agder shows that there are only seagulls left on the islets. – The herring gulls start nesting later than the other species, so it is natural that they can still be seen on the islets, says Kjøstvedt. Under investigation The case is under investigation by the police. They are now working to gather as much information as possible about what has happened at the islets. – We have taken several witness interviews and will do more interviews in the future, says acting head of investigation Hans Kristian Fjeldsgård in Lillesand. Currently, no one has status as a suspect in the case. – We are interested in tips. If anyone has information about the case, they can contact the police, says Fjeldsgård. Such cases are often due to a conflict between buildings and seabirds, according to Kjøstvedt. Jan Helge Kjøstvedt in Bird Life believes that the environmental crime at the Bergshaven islets seems like a planned act. Photo: Privat Assessing the report Lillesand municipality has not yet reported the possible environmental crime, but is following the case closely. – We take the matter very seriously because it threatens the natural diversity in the archipelago. These species are endangered and it is important that they are taken care of, says Acting Municipal Director Geir Jensen in Lillesand. The hooded gull is one of the most common gulls, but there have been fewer of them in Norway. Between 2015 and 2021, the hooded gull was listed as vulnerable in the Norwegian Red List of species. Photo: Vigdis Veie Rosvoll – A review may be relevant after the holiday. When we know more about the seriousness of the case, he adds. Violations of the Biodiversity Act are normally punished with fines, in some cases it also results in a prison sentence, according to Fjeldsgård. Environmental crime is the type of crime that has grown the most in recent years. The Attorney General’s registered offenses from 2017 to 2021 show an increase of over 21 per cent. – The case is a priority for us. Environmental crime is something the police take seriously, says Fjeldsgård.
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Red-listed bird species have disappeared from the islets
