Five seabird species – Arctic Tern, Leach’s Petrel, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Great Skua – have been added to the UK’s Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern since the last comprehensive assessment in 2015. In most cases, the report reflects recent declines in UK populations. These species join Red-listed seabirds including Puffin, Kittiwake and Roseate Tern.
The UK is internationally important for breeding seabirds, yet our colonies face many threats including climate change and, particularly for species such as Puffin and Kittiwake, the depletion of key prey such as sandeels by overfishing and climate change.
The recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which has been ravaging the UK’s wild bird population since July 2021, also had a devastating impact – it’s probably the main cause of the worrying decline in Great Skua numbers.
The RSPB continues to protect seabird colonies around the UK by effectively managing protected areas and tackling predation, particularly by eradicating introduced predators on islands.
We’ve long campaigned, too, for an end to industrial sandeel fishing, and were delighted when sandeel trawlers were banned from fishing in English and Scottish North Sea waters in April.
At the time of writing, we’re awaiting the outcome of a challenge to that ban by the European Union – but we’ll keep battling to save our wonderful seabirds in every way we can.
