Wild Gannet Seabird Welfare and Fish Stock Connections

Northern gannet populations are connected through food chains to fish stock management, and declines in prey fish availability directly translate into individual gannet welfare harm during breeding.

Key Facts

The UK hosts approximately 60 percent of the world's northern gannets at major colonies including Bass Rock, Ailsa Craig, and Grassholm
Gannets plunge dive at speeds up to 100 km/h, catching fish at depths of up to 22 metres
Sand eels are a critical prey species; their distribution is shifting northward with warming seas
Poor sand eel availability causes breeding failure and chick starvation in years of prey scarcity
Adult gannets maintain long-term pair bonds and return to the same nest site for decades
Plastic entanglement at nest sites is a growing welfare concern — plastic rope causes constriction injuries in chicks and adults

Welfare Considerations

Gannet welfare at individual and colony level is closely linked to marine food web health. In years of poor sand eel availability, adult gannets expend enormous energy in longer foraging trips, returning with less food, and chick condition deteriorates — leading to starvation and breeding failure across colonies simultaneously. Climate-driven northward shifts in sand eel distribution move prey away from established gannet colonies, forcing adaptation or eventual colony decline. Individual chick welfare during poor-prey years is acutely impaired — starvation is progressive and distressing. Marine conservation zone management that protects critical seabird foraging areas from intensive industrial fishing provides direct welfare protection for gannets and other seabirds dependent on the same prey species.

What You Can Do

Support Marine Conservation Society campaigns for Marine Protected Areas that include seabird foraging zones
Choose sustainably certified fish from MSC or equivalent schemes that help maintain the prey fish stocks seabirds depend on
Support RSPB seabird monitoring at gannet colonies and report any entangled or injured birds for rescue assessment
Reduce sand eel-fed aquaculture product consumption — industrial sand eel fishing for aquaculture feed competes directly with seabird prey needs