Caithness seabirds face a bleak future without urgent action
Gulls may seem commonplace and condemned by some as a nuisance but many of our Caithness gull species and other seabirds are in serious decline, according to a new report just published.
Home to over half the UK’s seabirds, Scotland is of global importance for these birds. The health of Scotland’s seabird colonies is critical to efforts to halt wider wildlife decline.
The UK’s Red list now includes Leach’s storm-petrel, common gull, great black-backed gull, arctic tern and great skua, with climate change, pressures on food sources, unsustainable fishing, entanglement in fishing gear, invasive predators introduced to islands and avian influenza all contributing to declining populations.
A new report by British Birds published this week presents a stark picture of the health of Scotland’s declining seabird populations as five species are added to the UK’s Red list of greatest conservation concern and join those at risk of global extinction like the beloved puffin.
Birds of Conservation Concern includes a list of those species most at risk of being lost from our skies. Of the 23 seabirds that make their home and raise their young in Scotland nine are now included in the Red list with 12 on the Amber list, and two on Green.
Scotland is home to over half the UK’s seabirds, including significant populations of the five species now on the Red list. And on a global scale, Scotland’s great skua population is over half the world’s population, and gannets are about half the world’s total.
Reviewing the population trends RSPB Scotland’s scientists note that declines in the populations of arctic tern (54 per cent), common gull (53 per cent), great black-backed gull (63 per cent) and Leach’s storm-petrel (79 per cent) are part of long-term trends.
The report lists how all seabird populations are facing a growing list of threats and pressures that include changes in prey availability due to climate change and overfishing, entanglement in fishing gear, invasive predators eating eggs and chicks and offshore renewable energy development in important foraging zones, as well as climate impacts on nesting and breeding success.
In addition to these pressures, seabirds recently suffered devastating declines from the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Great skua, a species that was previously increasing prior to HPAI, was reported as having now decreased by an estimated 76 per cent. Scotland hosts almost the entire UK population of great skuas making these results “incredibly alarming”, according to the RSPB.
Helen McLachlan head of marine policy for RSPB Scotland said: “This latest health check on our seabird populations reveals devastating declines in the overall status of the UK’s breeding seabirds and as Scotland is the UK’s seabird stronghold it is clear that this is a house is burning moment and the time for action is now.
“As an island nation it is perhaps not surprising that we are globally important for seabird populations but what has really shocked us is the sheer number of our seabird species now on the Red list. We need urgent action from Scottish Government to address this dire situation to tackle the drivers of these declines and enable recovery.
“We are calling for a robust and well-resourced Scottish seabird conservation strategy that can support the delivery of rapid protection of seabird breeding islands from invasive predators, improvements in the marine protected areas network for seabirds, better spatial planning of marine developments to avoid important areas, and fisheries management measures that will ensure there are sufficient prey species and new measures on boats that tackle the bycatch of seabirds in fishing gear.”
RSPB Scotland plan of action:
• We need to see the publication, delivery and resourcing of a strong Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy, that sets out clear actions that will halt and reverse declines.
• Support the fishing industry in ending the preventable deaths of thousands of seabirds in fishing lines every year. This will require mitigation measures accompanied by cameras on vessels to monitor effectiveness.
• Uphold the closure of industrial sand eel fishing in Scottish waters to protect the food sources many of our seabirds need to survive and feed their young.
• Initiate a national programme, across the whole Scottish archipelago, to restore seabird islands invaded by introduced predators like rats, and for comprehensive biosecurity measures to prevent these predators arriving on Scottish islands in future.
• Deliver a network of effectively managed and monitored Marine Protected Areas to ensure seabirds and marine life have safe places to thrive.
• Ensure that offshore renewables are delivered with nature in mind and in doing so address both the climate and nature emergencies.
To find out more about how the RSPB is working to save seabirds visit: www.rspb.org.uk
