Wild Gannet Colony Welfare and Seabird Conservation

Northern gannets form huge breeding colonies on rocky coastlines and islands, with welfare challenges from human disturbance, entanglement in fishing gear, and food availability.

Key Facts

The UK and Ireland hold over 60% of the global breeding population of northern gannets
Bass Rock in Scotland holds around 150,000 gannets — the largest single-rock gannet colony in the world
Gannets dive from heights of up to 30 metres at 100 km/h to catch fish, folding their wings at the last moment
Entanglement in discarded fishing line and plastic is a significant cause of mortality and injury
Gannet pairs form long-term bonds and return to the same nest site for many years

Welfare Considerations

Wild gannets face welfare threats from plastic and fishing line entanglement, which can cause limb amputation, strangulation, and drowning. Gannets collecting nesting material inadvertently pick up fishing line and plastic, which becomes incorporated into nests and entraps chicks. Marine pollution including oil spills causes feather damage that destroys the waterproofing essential for a diving bird. Overfishing reducing prey availability causes chick starvation during breeding seasons with poor fish stocks. Protecting gannet colonies from disturbance during breeding season is essential to welfare and breeding success.

What You Can Do

Dispose of fishing line and plastic waste responsibly to prevent wildlife entanglement
Support marine conservation organisations working to reduce plastic pollution in seabird foraging areas
Respect disturbance exclusion zones around seabird colonies during breeding seasons
Report injured or entangled seabirds to local wildlife rescue organisations