Wildlife

Seabird Welfare: Threats and Conservation

Seabirds including puffins, gannets, and kittiwakes face multiple welfare challenges from food web disruption to plastic entanglement and bycatch.

Key Facts

UK seabird populations declined 22% between 1986 and 2019
Atlantic puffins are amber-listed in the UK with colony monitoring showing breeding failures
Northern gannets are being monitored for avian influenza following mass mortality events
Fishing line entanglement causes slow death through starvation or drowning in thousands of birds annually

Welfare Considerations

Seabirds that cannot find fish face breeding failures where chicks die from starvation in the nest. The welfare impact includes both parental stress from failed breeding attempts and the slow death of unfed chicks. Entanglement causes long-duration suffering before death. Climate-driven fish distribution changes are creating welfare crises for species dependent on prey availability near breeding colonies.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB seabird monitoring and conservation programs with donations
Advocate for fishing gear modification requirements that reduce seabird bycatch
Report mass seabird mortality events to BTO for population monitoring
Support Marine Conservation Zones around seabird breeding colonies