Yes, prevention begins from education.
At the beginning of each breeding season, AFCD has been issuing advice to tour operators not to disturb tern colonies for many years. This year is no exception.
In the early 2000s, some operators gave similar tours to the largest tern island in Hong Kong in Mirs Bay, leading to devastating disturbance to terns there. The practice stopped after the Society and AFCD carried out an education campaign in 2003, advising tour operators and hiking groups not to visit tern islands during the breeding season.
Perhaps this tour operator (the name can be found in the blog) didn't expect terns at Waglan at the end of August. It was too late by the time they found out, with a full boat-load of their pay-masters ready to start their "expedition".
Hope they would be more considerate when planning next year's operations.
[ Last edited by BWA at 9/09/2010 22:48 ]
