Marine & Wildlife

Wild Gannet Welfare and Plastic

Gannets incorporate marine plastic into their nests, causing entanglement deaths of chicks and adults at major colonies, requiring targeted clean-up interventions.

Key Facts

Gannets at Bass Rock and other colonies weave plastic fishing line and netting into their nests
Chicks and adults become fatally entangled in nest plastic as they move within the nest cup
Conservation volunteers at Bass Rock remove plastic from accessible nests during the non-breeding season
An estimated 1,500+ entanglement events occur at Bass Rock colony annually
Reducing plastic entering the marine environment is the primary long-term welfare intervention

Welfare Considerations

Gannet plastic entanglement causes preventable deaths and suffering at some of the world's most important seabird colonies. Targeted nest cleaning and reducing marine plastic both address this welfare problem.

What You Can Do

Support Bass Rock and equivalent colony management through RSPB or Scottish Seabird Centre
Participate in marine beach cleans to reduce plastic entering seabird foraging areas
Advocate for extended producer responsibility legislation to reduce marine plastic at source