Historically speaking, between 1896 and 1906, an impressive 17,000 tons of guano were collected from the island and exported to the sugarcane fields of Mauritius.  The guano proved to be an effective fertiliser, helping to establish a coconut plantation and further cash crops of papaya and cotton.

In recent years, introduced species such as rats and rabbits have had a destructive effect on the biodiversity of the island.  The successful eradication of these foreign invaders has subsequently led to the increase in brown noddy populations, which can now nest safely on the ground.  The eradication has also resulted in increased numbers of wedge-tailed shearwaters and white-tailed tropicbirds.   

When Bird Island Lodge, which is the island's only tourist facility, was first established, it was one of the world's first ecotourism ventures and to this day it still remains at the forefront of ecotourism in the Seychelles.  Since its conception in 1967, Bird Island Lodge has been extremely successful in providing an island which is not only conservation driven, but also a unique and enjoyable visitor destination.

In the 1960s, there were estimated to be 18,000 pairs of sooty terns on Bird Island, however thanks to ongoing successful vegetation management, there are now more than 750,000 pairs.

Following the termination of turtle harvesting on the island, Bird is now home to significant populations of both green and hawksbill turtles.  As part of an ongoing turtle monitoring programme, many females that come ashore to lay eggs have been tagged.  This programme will monitor the success of nests and ultimately be used in conjunction with a wider turtle monitoring programme in the Seychelles.

Although the vast majority of visitors to Bird Island mean no harm to the islands flora and fauna, many of these are unaware that much of their behaviour, as innocent as they consider it, to be is in fact contributing to adverse environmental impacts.  Such behaviours include simply taking a photograph.  Observations have previously demonstrated that a number of female turtles who have clamoured to the shore to lay eggs, have been forced to turn around and return to the sea after visitors have been overly keen to capture that perfect wildlife shot. 

A philosophy which runs deep on Bird Island, is that of education.  Considerable time and effort has contributed to a wide variety of educational sources being available on the island.  Such education programmes include nature walks led by trained hotel staff and various information poster displays.   The island is also a favoured destination for volunteers keen to assist in conservation efforts and environmental awareness.     

Further conservation efforts adopted by Bird Island include emitting no light pollution.  One reason for this is because nesting green turtles and their young can become disorientated in artificial light, often causing them to lose their way to the sea.  The lack of artificial light also contributes to spectacular star gazing opportunities, the best being sought between November and April.

Photographs kindly provided by Ralph Pannell, Doug Howes & STB