RESTORATION OF AMSTERDAM ISLAND, SOUTH INDIAN-OCEAN, FOLLOWING CONTROL OF FERAL CATTLE

Among the French islands of the South Indian Ocean, Amsterdam Island i s the richest in endemic species but its indigenous terrestrial ecosys tem has been drastically modified. Sealers and transoceanic voyagers c aused irreversible damage to the native fauna and flora, either direct ly by fires and culling, or indirectly by introduced mammals. An endem ic flightless duck and several petrels have recently become extinct. N evertheless, some of the endemic flora and fauna have survived and the discovery of a relic population of Amsterdam albatross Diomedea amste rdamensis in 1983 resulted in the establishment of a restoration progr amme. Five cattle were introduced in 1871 and numbered about 2000 in 1 988. At this time the herd was both the main thr ent to endangered ind igenous species and one of the very few feral herds of Bos taurus anyw here in the world A compromise was decided upon between the urgent nee d to protect the island and the scientific intel est of the herd. The island was divided by a fence. Cattle were removed from the larger par t, allowing the terrestrial ecosystem to become rehabilitated. In the other part a management plan is in progress to control the size of the population. The investigation of compromises between biological inter est and practicability of the restoration programme is a necessary fi rst step to successful island conservation.