A picture published by the trust shows islanders with a dog on their way over to the island.
Alongside it a note from the trust read: ‘The States of Guernsey have not relaxed the rules on dogs being permitted on the causeway or on Lihou Island.
‘This is a very important habitat for wildlife, and we need to protect it.’
La Societe Guernesiaise land management and conservation officer Jamie Hooper urged people to heed the message.
‘Lihou is an important area in terms of its breeding seabirds, gulls, shags, cormorants, oyster catchers and several other species,’ he said.
‘It’s a place where we can enjoy wildlife that we wouldn’t get close to elsewhere and if we can keep it safe for the birds then hopefully we will see successful breeding there.’
Roosting waders, and ground nesting birds like meadow pipits, which are vulnerable to trampling, dogs and rats, would also be at risk. He said the presence of dogs on the island could impact on them.
‘It could be barking, if the birds are chased, but really the dog doesn’t have to do anything other than just be on the island, be in the area deemed to need protecting, in order to have a negative effect,’ he said.
‘The birds will perceive the dog to be a predator regardless of what it’s doing and will be wary of it and we would see a significant decline in the seabirds that choose to breed there.
‘Even though they’re not breeding right now they will be checking out their options and will look to see where they will nest, sometimes months in advance, so though there’s not eggs or chicks, the birds are there.’
He said there were additional factors including rats that could impact on the wildlife too, but anything that could be done to promote the area was a good thing.
‘Anything we can do to help them is beneficial,’ added Mr Hooper.
‘Keeping dogs away from anywhere where they are breeding is a good thing.’
The first lockdown last year was said to have seen internationally important bird species expand their nesting areas at Lihou due to the absence of visitors, with many birds building their nests much closer to the footpaths than usual, while some were only a few feet away.
It led Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services, together with La Societe Guernesiaise, RSPB Guernsey, the Biodiversity Partnership and the Lihou Charitable Trust, to ask the public to take extra care when visiting the island.
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