Wildlife Welfare

Wild Gannet Colony Welfare

Gannet colonies are spectacular wildlife sites but face threats from avian influenza and marine pollution. Conservation monitoring protects both individual birds and colony welfare.

Key Facts

UK has some of the world's largest gannet colonies including Bass Rock and Grassholm
HPAI caused significant mortality at several major UK gannet colonies from 2022
Gannets are surface-dive predators sensitive to changes in fish prey availability
Plastic ingestion and entanglement cause welfare harm in some individuals
Colony monitoring through citizen science tracking detects welfare problems early

Welfare Considerations

Gannet colony welfare depends on fish prey availability, disease surveillance, and reducing plastic pollution. Conservation monitoring enables early response to welfare threats.

What You Can Do

Support seabird conservation organisations monitoring gannet colonies
Reduce plastic waste to protect gannets from entanglement and ingestion
Report sick or dead gannets to wildlife authorities during disease outbreaks
Learn about gannet ecology and the threats they face