Puffin Welfare and Climate-Driven Breeding Failure

UK puffin colonies face increasing breeding failures as climate-driven sand eel declines reduce chick food availability, causing widespread puffling starvation.

Key Facts

UK puffin colonies at Skomer, Lunga, Handa and Shetland have suffered multiple consecutive poor breeding seasons since 2018
Sand eels, the primary chick food, have declined due to sea surface temperature increases that affect their prey zooplankton
Pufflings that are underfed show significantly lower fledging weights and reduced survival to first breeding
Puffins burrow-nest, making nest monitoring possible — this allows unusually detailed welfare monitoring of chick condition

Welfare Considerations

Puffin welfare is chronically impaired by reduced sand eel availability during the breeding season. Adult puffins must travel progressively longer distances to find adequate fish, creating both adult energy stress and chick food shortage. Pufflings that fledge underweight have substantially reduced survival, meaning poor breeding years compound into population-level welfare impacts. Sand eel fishing restrictions in key foraging areas provide direct welfare protection by improving prey availability. Climate action to stabilise sea surface temperatures is the long-term welfare solution.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB campaigns for sand eel fishing restrictions in puffin foraging areas around UK colonies
Monitor and report puffin arrival and breeding activity at colonies through RSPB and BTO nest monitoring schemes
Support ambitious climate policy as the primary long-term welfare protection for climate-vulnerable seabirds
Visit puffin colonies responsibly — avoid cliff edge disturbance at burrow sites during April-July