Wildlife

Sand Eel Welfare and Seabird Colony Collapse

Sand eels are the keystone prey species for many UK seabirds, and industrial fishing combined with climate-driven changes is causing seabird breeding failures.

Key Facts

Sand eels form over 90% of the diet of kittiwakes and puffins during chick rearing
Industrial fishing for sand eels for fishmeal has reduced prey availability
Climate change is shifting sand eel distribution northward away from seabird colonies
Kittiwake and Arctic tern populations have collapsed at sites where sand eels declined
Scotland banned industrial sand eel fishing in its waters in 2024

Welfare Considerations

Seabird chicks starving because sand eels have disappeared experience profound welfare suffering. Adult birds making repeated unproductive foraging trips suffer exhaustion and reduced body condition. The welfare crisis in seabird colonies is directly traceable to prey depletion through fishing and climate change.

What You Can Do

Support campaign to end industrial sand eel fishing in UK waters
Advocate for ecosystem-based fisheries management protecting forage fish
Choose certified sustainable seafood
Donate to seabird monitoring and conservation programmes
Visit seabird colonies to build political will for protection