Great skuas are aggressive seabirds that kleptoparasitise other seabirds and scavenge from fishing vessels. Their welfare and conservation raise interesting questions about the ethics of top predator management.
Great skua welfare is interesting partly because they are a predator whose welfare management may conflict with other species welfare. Control of skua populations to protect other seabirds raises welfare questions about both the controlled skuas and the prey species they take. Individual welfare of skuas is affected by the same climate-driven prey changes affecting other seabirds -- avian influenza has caused significant mortality. Their robust, aggressive behaviour makes them seem resilient, but population dynamics are sensitive to the same environmental changes that threaten more obviously vulnerable species.