 Isla de Aves from space, 2001 | |
  Isla de Aves Location in the Caribbean | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 15°40′18″N63°36′59″W / 15.67167°N 63.61639°W /15.67167; -63.61639 |
| Length | 376 m (1234 ft) |
| Width | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Administration | |
 Federal Dependencies of Venezuela | |
Isla de Aves ([ˈislaðeˈaβes];Spanish for "Island of Birds" or "Birds Island"), orAves Island, is aFederal Dependency ofVenezuela. It has been the subject of numerousterritorial disputes (now resolved) with theUnited States (through theGuano Islands Act of 1856), neighbouring independent islands such asDominica, and European states controlling their nearby dependent islands, such as theNetherlands and theUnited Kingdom.
The island is a part of theAves Ridge and lies to the west of theWindward Islands chain. It is 375 m (1,230 ft) in length and never more than 50 m (160 ft) in width, and rises 4 m (13 ft) above the sea on a calm day. Depending on one's interpretation of theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it could be legally classified as a "rock", which would only give Venezuela a twelvenautical mile economic zone. However, Venezuela claims it is a normalisland, which grants it a 200 nmi (370 km)exclusive economic zone.[1] Mostly sand, a small portion has some scrubby vegetation. It is sometimes completely submerged during hurricanes. It is 185 km (115 mi) south-west of the closest land,Montserrat, 225 km (140 mi) west ofDominica and 547 km (340 mi) north of the Venezuelan mainland.[2][3][4]
Mostly sand, a small portion of Isla de Aves has some scrubby vegetation. It is a resting and breeding place for seabirds and a nesting site forgreen sea turtles. The island, along with its surrounding waters, has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because it supports significant populations ofbrown noddies andsooty terns.[5]
The island's low profile makes it a hazard to navigation, and many ships have been wrecked here. It is sometimes completely submerged during hurricanes. For some time the island has been in danger of eroding altogether, and Venezuelan authorities are considering ways to protect it, along with the territorial claims to theCaribbean Sea which radiate from Isla de Aves. The impact ofHurricane Allen in the1980 Atlantic hurricane season divided it into two parts, but accretions ofcoral have subsequently reunited it. On August 17, 2007, the force ofHurricane Dean severely eroded the island.
The island was most likely discovered byAvaro Sanzze in 1584, though it was not settled. It was subsequently claimed forGreat Britain,Spain,Portugal and theNetherlands. Throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the inhabitants of theDutch islandsSint Eustatius andSaba regularly visited Aves to collect turtle and bird eggs.[6]
In 1854, a U.S. captain discovered the abundant quantities ofguano on Aves and systematic collection started not long after. Both the Dutch and Venezuelan authorities found out and protested. The Dutch sent a warship to Aves. Its captain found Americans loading guano. He informed them that the Dutch considered Aves to belong to the Netherlands.
The island was once again involved in controversy in 1857 when threeBoston men, "Mesers Shelton, Samson and Tappan", were in a dispute with the Venezuelan government after they "annexed" the island "which they had discovered in an abandoned condition"; this was done in accordance with the recently passedUnited States Guano Islands Act.[7]
In the meantime, in 1859, the Administrator of Sint Eustatius granted a concession to collect guano on Aves to ‘Edward Green, Kean & Co.’ ofBaltimore at f. 2.50 per ton. He decided that “even though Aves was never permanently settled by the Dutch, the inhabitants of Statia and Saba had made use of the island longer than anyone can remember,” which “constituted proof of possession.” He gave a provisionary concession and asked the Governor in Curaçao to confirm. The Governor, meanwhile, had received a request to mine guano on Aves from a group of businessmen on Dutch Sint Maarten, “who had assured themselves that Aves was recognized as a possession of the Dutch government.”
The Dutch authorities onCuraçao, under whom Sint Eustatius and Saba fell, sat down with the Venezuelans and together decided to find a mutually acceptable sovereign to decide about the ownership of Aves Island. The Queen ofSpain was accepted by both parties, and in 1865Isabella II ruled on the issue, deciding in favor of the Venezuelans.
However, Isabella's judgment acknowledged the time-honoured rights of the inhabitants of the Dutch islands Saint Eustatius, Saba andSint Maarten to fish in the waters around Aves. As this was the main issue the Dutch had, they accepted the ruling. Later, some Dutch historians argued that Isabella's advisors could have mixed up Aves withLas Aves Archipelago lying betweenBonaire andLos Roques, just off the coast of Venezuela.
From 1878 to 1912, the island was again occupied by American guano miners until supplies were exhausted.
Isla de Aves was included in Venezuela's territorial reorganization done by PresidentJoaquín Crespo in 1895. By 1905, Isla de Aves was a municipality called "Municipio Oriental" part of Colón Federal Territory.
In 1950, aVenezuelan Navy fleet consisting of two patrol boats and one transport boat were sent to take control of the island with a group of soldiers.
On June 2, 1978, ships of the Venezuelan Navy were sent to set up a scientific naval base namedSimón Bolívar on the lee (west) side near the southern tip of the island, constructed as a platform built on stilts partially in the water, which was permanently inhabited by a group of scientists and military personnel.
On March 28, 1978, Venezuela, using Aves Island as its reference, agreed to itsmaritime borders with the U.S. between Aves Island and Puerto Rico in theUnited States–Venezuela Maritime Boundary Treaty; this treaty came into force on 24 November 1980 after it was ratified by both parties.
The island is the closest Venezuelan territory to the United States, approximately 163 miles (262 km) from the U.S. island ofSaint Croix.
On June 17, 1980, Venezuela agreed with France that longitude 62°48′52″ W should be themaritime boundary between Aves Island and Guadeloupe and Martinique.
During a visit to Venezuela, Dominica’s Prime MinisterRoosevelt Skerrit, in June 2006, stated thatAves Island belongs to Venezuela, unofficially ending the territorial claim.[8]
Aves Island is a particularly rareamateur radio "entity", under the ITU prefix YV0. A 2006 expedition by operators to the island required 14 years of planning.[citation needed] Though one member suffered a fatal heart attack, over 42,000 contacts were made during their week-long stay.[9]
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