Velvet scoters are scarce sea ducks that winter off UK coasts, diving for molluscs and crustaceans, with welfare concerns from oiling, bycatch in fishing gear, and disturbance at sea.
Key Facts
Velvet scoters breed in northern Scandinavia and winter in small numbers off UK coasts
They feed by diving for bivalves in shallow coastal waters
Oil pollution causes feather fouling and hypothermia in sea duck populations
Gill net and longline bycatch of diving ducks is poorly quantified but significant
Velvet scoters associate with common scoters and eiders in mixed-species wintering flocks
Welfare Considerations
Velvet scoter welfare is threatened by oiling and fishing gear bycatch that affect small wintering populations disproportionately. Reducing coastal pollution and bycatch protects these scarce visitors.
What You Can Do
Support campaigns reducing oil pollution risk in coastal shipping lanes
Advocate for bycatch monitoring and reduction in coastal fisheries
Record velvet scoter sightings through seabird monitoring schemes
Donate to organisations monitoring sea duck populations and habitats