Above picture: Ian L. Jones on Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska; photograph by Brendan Coyle
Dr Ian L. Jones is a Canadian marine ornithologist with a career studying the biology of seabirds that goes back to 1982. He is currently Professor of Biology at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. His research group focuses on seabird ecology, emphasizing conservation, behavioural ecology, life history, and demography. He writes that he is also involved with the ecology and restoration of remote islands. Ian describes himself as a naturalist interested in Arctic flora, marine mammals, marine and freshwater fish, reptiles and amphibians and northern butterflies, as well as the seabirds he studies. Ian is married to marine mammalogist, Jeannine Winkel.
With his research background and interests, especially in island restoration, it is not surprising, but nevertheless greatly welcomed, that Ian recently contributed to the Mouse-Free (MFM) Project by sponsoring 30 hectares towards the eradication of the island’s introduced and seabird-killing House Mice.
MFM News reached out to Ian Jones to learn more about his motivation in making a generous donation to the MFM Project. In reply he says that he first heard about the project from an article in The Guardian newspaper. He goes on to write: “The Mouse-Free Marion Project addresses by far the largest global threat to seabird species and their populations – introduced terrestrial mammals on remote islands. This particular project has gathered a team of the most-qualified scientists in the world on this challenging issue. There is no question that the MFM Project and others like it are the best strategy to promote seabird conservation.”
It is heartening to receive support in these ways from a fellow seabird biologist and conservationist. Quite a few members of the MFM Project team started their careers studying seabirds, including the Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager and the voluntary News Correspondent. All three, and several other team members, have conducted research on seabirds (and seals) on Marion Island.
Ian Jones ends by saying “It is regrettable that various immaterial claims spread on social media and via pseudoscience have created distractions that have impeded efforts to address the main conservation threat to seabirds -introduced terrestrial mammals on remote islands.” Strong words! Undeniably, seabirds do face other serious threats on a global scale, notably from marine fisheries, but it is also undeniable that successfully eradicating introduced mammals on seabird islands brings rich and near-immediate rewards as populations rebound like no other conservation effort. And with this sentiment we are in full agreement with our Canadian colleague!
John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 14 August 2024
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Grey Petrels on Marion Island breed in winter, when they are particularly at risk to attacks by House Mice at a time when other food resources are scarce. Infographic by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean. The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate. For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.
