IUCN 9 Mar 12;
The status of the world’s seabirds has deteriorated rapidly over recent decades and several species and populations are now perilously close to extinction, according to a new review by BirdLife International, a partner of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Across the globe, commercial fisheries pose the most serious threat to seabirds.
The review reveals that seabirds are now more threatened than any other group of birds. Of the 346 seabird species, 97 (28%) are globally threatened, and a further 10% are listed as Near Threatened. Almost half of all seabird species are known or suspected to be experiencing population declines. The albatross family is especially imperiled, with 17 of the 22 species currently threatened with extinction.
“This new data details the rapid deterioration of creatures that provide a crucial window onto the condition of the oceans,” says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director, IUCN Global Species Programme. “We must now use this information to enact changes that will reverse the loss of such an important group of species.”
Human activities lie at the heart of the staggering decline of seabird populations. At sea, commercial fisheries have depleted fish stocks, an important food source for seabirds, and caused the death of innumerable seabirds through accidental bycatch. On land, the introduction of invasive species has destroyed many breeding colonies.
“Seabirds are a diverse group with worldwide distribution, and as top predators they also provide a valuable indicator of wider marine health,” says Professor John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme, and lead author of the paper.
There may still be time to reverse these declines and the review is clear on the actions that need to be taken. The sites where seabirds congregate—both onshore breeding colonies and offshore feeding grounds—must be protected. BirdLife has identified many Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for seabirds on land and plans to publish the first inventory of marine IBAs in the high seas. The goal is to use the identified areas to develop a global network of Marine Protected Areas and assist in the implementation of new approaches to the management and protection of marine systems.
In order to stem the disappearance of seabird populations, invasive species—specifically introduced rodents—must be removed from major seabird colonies. Several successful restoration projects have already taken place, and BirdLife is currently collaborating with Island Conservation and the University of California, Santa Cruz to compile a list of priority sites for future eradication operations. There is also a need for more research to fill existing knowledge gaps and address emerging threats such as aquaculture, energy generation operations and climate change.
“The work done by BirdLife International is extremely important in identifying needed conservation action for our pursuit to protect the world’s most threatened species,” says Jean-Christophe Vié.
Issues involving species survival will be discussed at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 6 to 15 September 2012.
World seabird numbers still falling, says a new review
Daniel Boettcher BBC News 9 Mar 12;
Almost half of the world's seabirds have populations that are thought to be in decline, according to a new review.
The study, published in Bird Conservation International, found that 28% of species are considered to be in the highest categories of risk.
Conservationists are particularly concerned by the albatross family.
Threats to the birds include commercial fishing and damage to breeding colonies caused by rats and other invasive species.
Seabirds make up just a small proportion (3.5%) of the world's bird species. But researchers say they are an important indicator of the health of the oceans.
The review, carried out by BirdLife International, found that of 346 species, 47% are known or suspected to be in decline.
It says that seabirds are now more threatened than any other group of birds.
Prof John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme, told the BBC: "They are top predators in their marine systems. The fact that almost a third are globally threatened should really be telling us something about how we need to look after where they occur to breed on land and where they go to feed in the ocean."
BirdLife assesses the threat status of seabirds on behalf of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles the internationally-recognised Red List. On that list, 5% of seabirds are in the highest category of Critically Endangered.
One of those is the Balearic shearwater, which can be found in UK waters in the summer.
The review also found that 17 out of 22 species of the albatross family are threatened with extinction.
Conservationists say commercial fishing is one of the key threats to seabirds with large numbers killed as a bycatch in nets and on lines.
Another is the impact that invasive species such as rats and feral cats have on breeding colonies, either damaging habitats or eating chicks and eggs.
Some of the most important breeding colonies are on remote islands in UK overseas territories. Last year an Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) project, part-funded by the UK Government, carried out a programme to eradicate rats on Henderson Island in the South Pacific.
Helicopters guided by GPS dropped rat poison pellets on the island, which is the only known breeding site of the endangered Henderson petrel.
Grahame Madge of the RSPB said: "Without projects like this, these seabirds would have a finite life. On Henderson Island the rats were bringing birds towards extinction."
A pilot study is being carried out to look at the feasibility of removing mice from another important breeding site, Gough Island in the South Atlantic.
