Scottish Seabird Centre

Actions to Protect Scotland’s Seabirds are Being Consulted on by the Scottish Government as the Draft Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan is Launched Today

Actions to protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable marine species are being consulted on by the Scottish Government.

Climate change, invasive non-native species such as brown rat, food shortages and other pressures are contributing to the dramatic declines seen in seabird numbers. Almost two thirds of Scotland’s seabird species have declined over the last 20 years, with eight including the Arctic tern, kittiwake and black-headed gull declining by more than 50%.

The draft Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan has been developed to protect Scotland’s seabird species for future generations.

Developed in partnership with NatureScot, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and British Trust for Ornithology, the plan sets out over 50 actions including:

Enhancing food availability by improving conditions for prey
Providing safe nesting areas by eradicating non-native invasive predators
Increasing survival prospects by minimising bycatch
Key research and monitoring of Scottish Seabirds
Promoting awareness and international engagement by working in partnership with local and international communities, marine and coastal sectors, and environmental organisations.

Acting Net Zero and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said:

“Launching the consultation on the Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan marks a vital step forward in protecting some of our most iconic and vulnerable marine species.

“It’s important that we all play our part in protecting seabirds which is why this action plan is for everyone with an interest in our marine and coastal environment. I’m confident that with concerted effort and shared responsibility, we can stop the declines we are seeing in our seabird populations and increase their resilience to a changing climate thereby securing their future.

“As top predators, seabirds are indicators of the health of marine ecosystems, playing a crucial role in maintaining balance within marine food webs. Seabirds also have a significant role in the economy supporting a thriving tourism industry that is vital to local economies, particularly in rural and island communities.

“I encourage everyone with a stake in Scotland’s natural environment to respond to the consultation. Your views are important. Together, we can ensure that Scotland remains an international stronghold for seabirds, now and in the future.”

NatureScot Chair, Colin Galbraith, said:

“Scotland provides vital breeding and foraging grounds for internationally important and much-loved populations of seabirds. As the latest research has shown, our seabirds are in trouble. This new Action Plan is essential to both protect seabirds and safeguard the wider marine environment. The work we do now and in the near future must stop the declines we’ve seen over the last 20 years – and help tackle broader nature and climate emergencies.

“There is nothing quite like watching a gannet dive, a cormorant spread its wings or a puffin with a beak full of sandeels. We all need to help protect nature, playing our part where we can, including having a say about how we protect the wildlife we cherish.”

Susan Davies, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre said:

"Scotland’s seabird colonies are a world-renowned natural treasure, offering a spectacular wildlife experience for communities and visitors alike. However, many of these iconic species are in steep decline.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Seabird Conservation Action Plan and look forward to collaborating on priority actions. Central to this effort is raising awareness and inspiring everyone to protect and care for our seabirds to secure their future".

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For further press information:

Jess Thompson, Marketing Manager, email marketing@seabird.org, tel: +44(0)1620 890202.

Notes for editors

The Scottish Seabird Centre is an award-winning marine conservation and education charity whose purpose is to inspire and educate people about the Scottish marine environment and motivate people to care for it by supporting conservation projects.
In May 2025 the Charity will celebrate it’s 25th anniversary of the opening of its Visitor Centre doors the public and over the years has won multiple awards for tourism and sustainability. It has led a range of high-profile conservation and education projects including the SOS Puffin initiative in the Firth of Forth.
Follow the Scottish Seabird Centre on Facebook/ScottishSeabirdCentre. Twitter @SeabirdCentre and Instagram @seabirdcentre
For more information on the Scottish Seabird Centre visit www.seabird.org

Key Facts about Scotland’s marine environment

Scotland has over 18,000km of coastline, in excess of 900 islands, 61% of the UK total sea area.
The area of Scotland’s seas is about 6 times the land mass of Scotland.
Scotland’s seas support an amazing diversity of wildlife with over 6,500 species recorded.
·A third of Europe’s breeding seabirds are found in Scotland.
·Seabirds are one of the world’s most threatened groups of vertebrates and one in three species are globally threatened with extinction, including populations of Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) which are enjoyed by visitors to the Firth of Forth.
Important marine species include basking sharks, dolphins, porpoises and seals. About 35% of Europe’s harbour (or common) seal population also occur in UK waters with 83% of these found around Scotland’s coast.
Underneath the water, Scotland supports important marine habitats such as cold-water coral, kelp forests and flame shell beds (an important blue carbon resource).
Our oceans are important natural resource for combatting the effect of climate change. 83% of global carbon cycle is circulated through the world’s oceans and our coastal habitats account for around 50% of the total carbon sequestered in ocean sediments.
Healthy seas, however, have huge potential to provide natural solutions to the climate emergency by locking up carbon and helping the planet to cool.
In the last 50 years we have lost 2% of the oxygen in our oceans as a direct result of climate change, this is already having a devastating impact on our marine eco-systems and if left unchecked will be catastrophic for food security the world over.