LIFE PanPuffinus

13/02/2026

The LIFE PanPuffinus! team visited the beautiful island of Lesvos in Greece as part of the final monitoring visit for the project.

A monitoring visit entails a full update on both the financial and technical outcomes of the project and is attended by all project partners, as well as representatives from the EU-appointed monitoring teams and the European Commission.

This was also an opportunity to meet with the fishers who participated in the project, testing mitigation measures and supporting data collection efforts.

Οργανισμός Φυσικού Περιβάλλοντος και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής-ΟΦΥΠΕΚΑ Elliniki Ornithologiki Etaireia LPO France SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves SEO/BirdLife Aquatic Resources Malta

06/02/2026

Building long-term partnerships with small-scale fishers is key to reducing seabird bycatch. Through LIFE PanPuffinus and LIFE Marine Mammal Species, LPO France is co-developing mitigation measures that fishers adopt, promote, and sustain - turning collaboration into lasting conservation impact.

Footage: LIFEPanPuffinus!
Editing: Simone Davide Brunori

23/01/2026

Working together across borders 🌊🐟

Through this project, BirdLife Greece partnered with fishers for the first time, aligning methods, exchanging knowledge, and building trust. Fisher exchanges revealed shared challenges, diverse fishing practices, and the realities of a demanding profession - laying the foundation for long-term collaboration to address bycatch and protect marine biodiversity.

🎥 LIFE PanPuffinus!
✂️ Simone Davide Brunori

09/01/2026

Closely Related 🐦🌊

The Balearic Shearwater and the Yelkouan Shearwater share a common ancestor, similar feeding behaviour and comparable breeding habitats. These similarities are why Mediterranean countries work together through LIFE PanPuffinus to reduce seabird bycatch and protect both species at sea and at their colonies. 🤝🇪🇺

🎥 LIFE PanPuffinus
✂️ Simone Davide Brunori

19/12/2025

Working together across borders is key to protecting our seabirds. The LIFE PanPuffinus! project is bringing scientists and fishers from different countries together to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and develop solutions that work for everyone at sea. A powerful reminder that conservation succeeds when we join forces.

Edited by Simone Davide Brunori

05/12/2025

Through the LIFEPanPuffinus! project, our team has been working with partners across Europe to tackle two major threats to Yelkouan and Balearic shearwaters: accidental bycatch and the impact of invasive species.

As the project concludes, BirdLife Malta remains committed to safeguarding these vulnerable seabirds and strengthening cross-border collaboration to ensure their long-term protection.

Edited by Simone Davide Brunori

03/12/2025

🎣 “Our goal is to catch fish, not seabirds.”

Meet Maltese fisherman William Bugeja, one of the many fishers who collaborated in the LIFE PanPuffinus! project to help protect seabirds such as the Yelkouan Shearwater.

By sharing his experience and adopting seabird-safe fishing practices, William shows how conservation and traditional fishing can work hand in hand to protect our Mediterranean seabirds. 🌊🐦

Edited by Simone Davide Brunori

01/12/2025

Together for conservation

Collaboration between scientists and fishers is key to achieving real conservation,” said Alicia Bugeja Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights, during the closing event of the LIFE PanPuffinus project. 🌊🐦

Her message highlighted the importance of cooperation and research in protecting our Mediterranean seabirds, a commitment that continues to shape Malta’s conservation efforts.

Edited by Simone Davide Brunori.

More information here: https://birdlifemalta.org/2025/11/life-panpuffinus-project-celebrates-five-years-of-seabird-conservation-across-the-mediterranean/

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23/11/2025

BirdLife Malta’s scientific research and evidence-based studies have once again delivered results, securing stronger protection for vital natural sites for the benefit of our country. 🐦💚

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Miriam Dalli ERA - Environment & Resources Authority

St Paul's Islands (Selmunett) and the stretch of cliffs from iċ-Ċumnija to ix-Xaqqa have officially been declared Special Protection Areas (SPA), strengthening their existing status as

14/11/2025

BirdLife Malta hosts the Marine Task Force meeting

BirdLife Malta was this year’s host of the Marine Task Force meeting. This gathering is coordinated by BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, and brings together partners from different European countries with the aim of discussing pertinent marine issues.

The agenda this year included discussions about marine restoration, sustainable fisheries, offshore renewables, and marine protected areas.

These meetings are not only a great way of sharing knowledge among countries, but they also allow the partners to update each other on their respective political contexts and marine issues.

The Marine Task Force creates a space for international BirdLife partners to build a common position and develop a strategy for healthier seas - benefiting not only seabirds but also the people and coastal communities who depend on them.

Photos by: Anouk Puymartin, Saskia Pelzer, Paulo Lago, and Pierre Farque.

07/11/2025

Last Monday, we celebrated the closing conference of the LIFE PanPuffinus! project in Malta, marking five years of international collaboration to protect the Yelkouan (Garnija) and Balearic (Garnija Balearika) Shearwaters. 🐦🌊

Discover how this €3.5 million project brought together five countries to tackle bycatch, control invasive species, and engage communities to strengthen seabird conservation.

📖 Read the full press release and watch the closing video here: https://birdlifemalta.org/2025/11/life-panpuffinus-project-celebrates-five-years-of-seabird-conservation-across-the-mediterranean/

🎨 Design: João Candeias



BirdLife Malta Agrikoltura Elliniki Ornithologiki Etaireia LPO France SEO/BirdLife SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves Οργανισμός Φυσικού Περιβάλλοντος και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής-ΟΦΥΠΕΚΑ