This presentation shows about guano islands, its location, significance, what is guano, what is anchovies, how guano is formed, its production, decline and conservation methods. We must save the nature which provides food, water and shelter for us. This is the presentation which I made when I was 10 years old and I have with some modifications.

2.  Situated in western coast of Peru.
 Major sites of Guano Islands Chinchas, Ballestres,
Macabi, Lobos.
 Other islands around the world, off Africa, the Caribbean,
and the Pacific islands, also contained abundant guano
reserves.

3.  Means ‘dung’ in American Indian language.
 A natural fertilizer made from the birds’ droppings.
 Used to increase crop yield.
 Common fertilizer among the farmers of the European and
American countries.
 White breasted cormorants, grey pelicans& white head
gannets produce guano.

4.  Prey for the guano-producing birds.
 Small, common salt-water forage fish of the family
Engraulidae.
 Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and in
the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
 Scientific name is Engraulidae.

5.  Anchovies are a prey for the sea birds. They are found in the
coast of Peru. This area attracts a lot of birds.
 The birds visit the equatorial coasts and guano islands.
 The guano form a thick layer on small islands. These are
well preserved here.
 As the climate is hot and wet, the rain don’t wash the guano
away.

6.  Large-scale digging of guano deposits started during the
middle of the 19th century.
 Peruvian guano was imported by many countries.
 Around 1840-80, the Peruvians excavated over 1000s of tons
of guano and earned $2 billion from its export.
 This became the most important export and main source of
wealth for Peru.

7.  The people of Peru started catching Anchovies on a long
scale. From here, the decline started.
 Anchovies were a great demand in the USA and European
countries.
 Anchovies are used to make fish meat and fish oil.
This prevented the birds coming to
Guano Islands. So, the droppings
became less.

8. The Peruvian Government has taken steps to
conserve guano fertilizer since 1990.They
are as follows:
1. Digging of guano is now restricted.
2. Export has stopped completely.
3. Produce of guano is only used locally for cotton and
sugar cane crops.

9. GUANO GUANO ISLANDS
ANCHOVIES GUANO-PRODUCING BIRDS