Britain’s seabird colonies face catastrophe as warming waters disrupt their food supply

Populations of gannets, puffins and other marine birds are in freefall, but a crucial scientific study to pinpoint the causes is being blocked, say experts

Robin McKieScience editor

Sunday 20 August 2017 00.04 BSTLast modified on Sunday 20 August 2017 09.20 BST

Bempton Cliffs bird reserve was in fine fettle last week. The last of its population of puffins had departed for the winter a few weeks earlier, while its thousands of young gannets were still being cared for by their parents on the chalk cliffs of the East Yorkshire nature site. For good measure, kittiwakes, cormorants and fulmars were also bathing in the sunshine.

It was a comforting sight for any birdwatcher but this benign picture was in stark contrast to many other bird reserves in Britain. Our populations of seabirds – arctic skuas, arctic terns and kittiwakes – are in freefall. And, in some cases, the numbers are dire.

“For reasons that are not entirely clear – though they are almost certainly concerned with climate change – Bempton Cliffs has not suffered from the precipitous declines in seabird numbers that we see elsewhere,” said Euan Dunn, a principal policy officer for the RSPB.

Continued 

Help safeguard Scotland's sea life!

Scotland is a country proud of its rich natural heritage; it is home to iconic terrestrial species, wonderful birds, amazing marine life and is one of the most important places in the world for seabirds.

Many are shocked to learn that some of Scotland’s seabird colonies are on a trajectory toward extinction. That is why we need you to step up and act now by emailing Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment, demanding that the Scottish Government create Marine Protected Areas that protect seabirds at sea.

The Marine (Scotland) Act (2010) gives the Scottish Government powers to designate Marine Protected Areas for “Scottish Specialities”. It is staggering that the Government has chosen not to include seabirds in its selection criteria.

The plight of several Scottish seabird colonies is grave – kittiwakes have declined 82% since 2000 on the Orkney mainland and are now extinct as a breeding species at Mull Head; the Arctic skua population decreased 73% between 1986 and 2011 and the guillemot colony at Troup Head has declined by 66% in the past decade.

Despite this evidence that populations are declining, the Government has been taken little action to stop it. This must change now.

We need to ensure this opportunity to protect seabirds is not missed; we need the network of MPAs to be selected based on the best scientific evidence available; we need MPAs have a positive effect on Scotland’s wildlife and coastal communities and we need you to help make it happen.

Please email the Cabinet Secretary demanding that Scotland’s Marine Protected Area network protects Scotland’s iconic seabird species.

Details on how to do this:

http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=13&ea.campaign.id=16661