Technically, the hundred-mile-long, 20 mile-wide British abroad territory of South Georgia is uninhabited.
Just a few visiting scientists and authorities fisheries inspectors occupy the island all yr spherical.
However from a wildlife perspective, it is something however.
Its shores are residence to the most important variety of marine birds and mammals on the planet.
Mendacity 800 miles east off the Falkland Islands and a thousand miles north of Antarctica, it is one of many few fragments of land between that huge frozen continent and the remainder of the world.
The a part of the South Atlantic by which it sits is without doubt one of the most food-rich oceans on the earth, fed by highly effective circulating currents, and it is filled with shrimp-like Antarctic krill.
“Krill feeds the blue whales, humpback whales, fin whales. It additionally feeds the gentoo penguins, macaroni penguins, chinstrap penguins and the fur seals,” says Martin Collins, a scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, and former head of the South Georgia authorities, chatting with me from his workplace at King Edward Level on the island.
The island additionally has a number of the largest and most important populations of elephant seals, king penguins and several other species of albatross and petrel – the hardiest of ocean-going seabirds.
The island has been within the headlines after the world’s largest iceberg, A23a, ran aground off its south-west coast.
File pic: AP
Concern over impression of iceberg on island’s wildlife
There is a concern it may impression wildlife on the island – however the timing is fortuitous, says Mr Collins.
“It is the top of the breeding season now, which implies the impacts on penguins at that a part of the island might be lessened.
“There could also be a little bit little bit of impression, notably on gentoo penguins, which nonetheless forage across the island throughout the winter.”
Gentoo penguins are a part of the island’s wealthy wildlife
From a wider conservation perspective, South Georgia is without doubt one of the world’s stand-out success tales.
Till the Nineteen Sixties, it was a significant hub for whaling. Hundreds of whales have been caught off its coasts and processed at numerous whaling stations – the dimensions of the slaughter such that the bays across the island have been crimson with whale blood.
The whalers launched reindeer for meals that nibbled and trampled distinctive flowers that sustained most of the island’s endemic wildlife.
Stowaway rats plundered the eggs and chicks of penguins and different floor nesting birds (there are not any bushes).
World’s largest iceberg on collision course with South Georgia
Whales returning in giant numbers
The South Georgia pipit, the world’s most southerly songbird, was pushed to the brink of extinction.
However earlier than the deserted whaling stations have even rusted away, whales have begun returning to South Georgia in giant numbers.
A marketing campaign of air-dropping poisoned bait throughout the inaccessible island has eradicated the rats and the pipits are booming.
The seas round South Georgia have been as soon as closely fished. The worst for wildlife have been long-line vessels attempting to hook high-value Chilean seabass.
File pic: PA
Name for outright ban on fishing
Albatross and petrels would dive for the bait and be caught and drowned.
Since 2012, the federal government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have policed a 500,000 square-mile marine-protected space across the islands the place most fishing is now banned.
Just a few vessels are licensed to catch shrimp-like krill and seabass however solely in winter when most predators are absent and below strict controls.
Some conservationists are calling for fishing to be banned outright.
Nevertheless, the South Georgia authorities argues it is the revenue from restricted fishing licences that enables them to guard and monitor the exclusion zone.
Essential at a time when funding from central authorities is scarce and unlikely to extend.
The important thing menace now could be the quickly altering local weather round South Georgia.
“There’s proof that the distribution of krill is shifting a little bit additional south steadily over time,” says Mr Collins.
“We must be actually aware of that altering local weather.”
However he is optimistic too. Regardless of hotter oceans, numbers of some species are booming. Particularly whales and fur seals.
“I’ve simply had two king penguins strolling previous the home windows as we have been speaking,” he says.
“Once I first got here right here within the late Nineties, there have been no fur seals on this space in any respect. And now they’re in all places round us”.
