Impact of avian flu is worse than feared
Gannets, great skuas and roseate terns have been devastated by the disease
Anew report by the rspb, bto and other conservation organisations has revealed the true impact of avian flu on the UK’s globally important populations of seabirds. According to the study, the great skua was particularly badly hit, with more than three quarters of the UK population lost. At least 2,500 birds were reported dead across Scotland, which is home to 60 per cent of the world population.
The gannet has also been severely impacted, with a 25 per cent drop in numbers across the UK, which supports more than half of the world’s birds. At least 11,000 deaths were recorded in Scotland, and there was a 54 per cent collapse in the Welsh population – 5,000 deaths were recorded on the RSPB island reserve of Grassholm alone. Gannets breed in a small number of densely packed colonies, making them particularly vulnerable to the spread of the disease.
The report also revealed a 21 per cent decline in the UK population of roseate terns, our rarest breeding seabird.
“The findings are extremely worrying, confirming avian flu to be a major additional threat to our already struggling seabirds,” says Jean Duggan, policy assistant on avian flu at the RSPB. “We knew the situation was bad for gannets and great skuas in particular, but it’s worse than we thought.”
In other news, the long-term future of the UK’s threatened seabirds – including gannets and great skuas – is looking more hopeful following the ban on industrial sandeel fishing in the English North Sea and all Scottish waters. The move represents a significant victory for environmental groups, which have been campaigning for a ban for decades.
“The closure of sandeel fisheries will be a vital lifeline for our seabirds,” says Duggan. “Now we need to build on this with further action to increase resilience and safeguard their future.”