As I’m sure you know from reading our other blogs and watching our short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3W4gQHDFXE ), that Welsh Government are currently proposing to extend the protected areas for some of our seabirds.
But what you might not know is why our seabirds are so special and why they need this protection. Wales hosts an amazing array of seabirds from the cheeky puffin, to the graceful gannet, and is home to some of the best and important nesting and breeding sites, not only in the UK but in the whole of Europe.
RSPB Grassholm is a great example. This small island, lying almost seven miles off the Pembrokeshire coast is home to the third largest colony of Northern Gannets in the UK. If this was an Olympic sport we’d have a bronze in the bag already.
Wales is also a powerhouse in the field of Manx shearwaters, with numbers that have been steadily rising since the late 1990’s. We now host more breeding pairs than Scotland, so that would be a gold medal!
You might ask why then, if our bird numbers are increasing do we need to protect them further? To put it simply, the numbers in the UK are actually falling. Scotland has seen some devastating nest failures over the last few years, with year on year declines. The North East coast of England is seeing similar trends. Even in Wales, not all our birds are doing so well. Our Kittiwake numbers are starting to be an area for concern – and whilst we’re not yet sure if the declines in the last two years are part of a downward spiral or just a blip, its enough to make us concerned.
Assuming we manage to address the issues and threats facing these sites, recovery will be slow. So its important to make sure we look after the sites where bird numbers are increasing. That way we still have a healthy population to rebuild the rest of the UK from, a safe place to winter the storms if you like.
Speaking of storms – and I’m sure this hasn’t passed you by. The recent bad weather has seen more wrecks, that is seabirds dying at sea due to the adverse weather conditions. Last year it was seen most prominently from Scotland down to the east coast. This year we are getting reports across the channel, from France to Devon.
The effects of climate change on our seabirds through increased and prolonged stormy periods is another threat species like puffins, razorbills and guillemots face, and isn’t an issue we can fix over night.
But we can make sure that by protecting the areas they use in Wales, we can give them immediate help. Hopefully making the resident populations more resilient and able to survive in the long term.
To find out more about Skomer and Skokhom SPA extensions you could visit Natural Resources Wales’s drop in session at Marloes Village hall near St Brides in Pembrokeshire tomorrow from 13:30 to 20:00, for more details go to: http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk/our-work/consultations/our-own-consultations/proposed-changes-to-three-existing-spas/?lang=en#.UwSGI_vfQbA .