Corvo Island now has another Cory’s shearwater (“cagarro”), thanks to artist Bordalo II, who accepted our challenge to thank the people of Corvo for their commitment to protecting this and other seabirds. Made entirely from waste materials — a hallmark of the artist’s work — this shearwater is the latest piece in the Big Trash Animals series and also aims to raise awareness about the impact of marine litter on seabirds.
In fact, marine litter is one of the greatest threats to seabirds. A study carried out by the University of the Azores revealed that 93% of juvenile Cory’s shearwaters had plastic in their stomachs. This artistic representation of Portugal’s most abundant seabird seeks to draw attention to this issue and encourage people to reduce plastic consumption.
This initiative was organized by SPEA and the Corvo Municipal Council, co-financed by the Regional Directorate for Tourism and supported by EDA. The project is part of the OceanLit initiative, through which communities and ocean users in the Azores and Madeira work together to reduce marine litter by promoting behavioral change.