Seabirds are among the most threatened bird groups globally, facing plastic pollution, fisheries bycatch, oil spills, and climate-driven food scarcity — all with significant welfare implications.
Key Facts
Approximately 29% of seabird species are threatened with extinction — the highest proportion of any bird group
Plastic ingestion is documented in 90% of seabird species; stomach fulls of plastic prevent normal feeding
Longline fisheries kill an estimated 160,000 albatrosses annually as bycatch
Oil spills cause hypothermia and feather damage, requiring extensive rehabilitation
Climate change is shifting prey distribution, causing breeding failure as parents cannot find sufficient food for chicks
Welfare Considerations
Seabirds face multiple simultaneous welfare threats. Plastic ingestion causes starvation and gastrointestinal injury over weeks. Longline entanglement causes drowning. Oil contamination destroys waterproofing and causes hypothermia; oiled birds often survive for days in severe distress before dying or being euthanised. Climate-driven prey scarcity causes chick starvation — a prolonged and distressing death. The cumulative pressure on seabird welfare from multiple human-caused stressors is severe and growing. Each of these threats is addressable through targeted policy and behaviour change.
What You Can Do
Reduce single-use plastic use and participate in beach cleans
Support sustainable fisheries with seabird bycatch reduction measures
Donate to seabird rehabilitation and conservation organisations
Advocate for fishing vessel requirements to deploy bird-scaring lines and set gear at night
Learn about seabird species in your area and support monitoring programmes