Puffin population is recovering on Mykines

KVF reports that the puffin population on Mykines is increasing, after bird counts have been carried out for about 15 years.

Jón Aldará, a biologist at the National Museum, said the population had fluctuated over time. The outlook was poor initially, but the numbers have risen in recent years and the overall situation is now better than before.

He said the reasons were difficult to determine, but could include the food available to the birds at sea. Fewer people on the islet may also have played a role.

Tourists have not been allowed to access the islet for several years. According to Aldará, this may have contributed to the positive development by giving puffins more opportunity to enter their burrows and nest in peace.

However, he said it was too early to celebrate. The puffin population was much larger several decades ago, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, and it remains significantly smaller today.

“It is too early to say whether the trend has truly been reversed,” Aldará said.