Five seabirds added to UK red list of most concern
Five other seabirds were already on the list – the puffin, kittiwake, herring gull, roseate tern and arctic skua.
Seabirds are in trouble because of climate change, unsustainable fishing practices, offshore renewable-energy development and habitat loss.
According to last year’s Seabirds Count, the biggest UK census for 20 years, 62% of UK seabird species are in decline – kittiwakes and common gulls are down nearly 50% and puffin numbers have fallen by a quarter.
“We should be really concerned about this, because the UK is really important for breeding seabirds,” British Trust for Ornithology surveys head Dawn Balmer, head of surveys said.
RSPB marine policy officer Jean Duggan called it a “wake-up call”.
“It’s not just about safeguarding these species for ourselves at home, it’s also safeguarding global populations and preventing future extinctions,” she said.
