Publication - Consultation paper
Scottish seabird conservation action plan: vulnerability report
Details the process undertaken to determine the key pressures acting on seabirds whilst at Scottish seas and at breeding colonies and used to inform the development of the Scottish seabird conservation action plan.
Annex 4: Review of existing measures in place
| Impact/threat | Existing Measures in place | Actions committed or underway | Opportunities for action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduction in prey availability | Closure of fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters Fisheries measures implemented in some non-seabird MPAs | Development of fisheries measures in seabird MPAs. | Scope for more actions that can enhance prey availability, such as managing other forage fish species, and enhancing/restoring prey supporting habitats such as spawning and nursery areas. |
| Invasive predatory species | Eradication of invasive predatory mammals from three key seabird islands – Canna, Ailsa Craig and the Shiant Isles. | Eradication of stoats on Orkney. Produced Biosecurity Plans for seabird islands and established three incursion response hubs. | Scope for more actions that can enhance safe breeding opportunities such as, removing and/or controlling invasive predatory mammals from seabird colonies where predation is an issue, securing long-term island biosecurity measures, managing grazing levels and vegetation composition/structure where these are damaging breeding habitats. |
| Bycatch | Voluntary use of mitigation measures in some fleets. | UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative. Trials on the use of streamers and altered buoyancy regimes are ongoing through the European LIFE funded project, CIBBRiNA and UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme. | Scope for more actions that can reduce incidental bycatch mortality, such as developing and implementing technical and spatial measures to reduce seabird bycatch in the fishing sector and continuing to improve techniques to reduce entanglement in aquaculture nets. |
| Collision, displacement and barrier effects | Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind for ScotWind. | Minimising impacts of marine renewables development at strategic and project level through mitigation and where appropriate, compensation. | Scope for more actions that can reduce risk of incidental injury and/or mortality of seabirds from marine renewables and, development of appropriate actions to be considered for compensation. |
| Disease | Scottish Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response Plan. | Ongoing review of the HPAI plan in wild birds response plan. | Be prepared for new and emerging wildlife disease threats to seabirds. |
| Disturbance | Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code. Some information and site managers available on Nature Reserves. Scottish Seabird Centre – educational programmes | Scope to promote the Codes to raise awareness of the potential to cause disturbance and explore opportunities to minimise disturbance. Scope for additional visitor engagement, raising awareness and education. | |
| Pollution | Industry standards on oil spill (including Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs)) Scottish Marine Litter Strategy | Marine litter initiatives are underway from a wide variety of organisations. | Scope to reduce sources of marine litter through delivery of Scottish Marine Litter Strategy. |
| Habitat loss | Designated a network of Marine Protected Areas that include important seabird breeding and foraging sites. | Scope for marine and coastal habitat restoration and enhancement. | |
| Intentional taking of adults/eggs (licenced culling, control and harvesting) | Removed gulls from the gull general licence. Gull licence guidance available. | Presumption against issuing gull licences. Review and analysis of licence returns. | Scope for additional pre-emptive guidance and engagement to reduce gull licence applications. |
Contact
Email: marine_species@gov.scot
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