RSPB reveals new seabird hot-spot map
The RSPB has produced new maps identifying the location of marine hot-spots for some of the UK's most threatened seabirds, based on tracking data, for the first time.
A five-year RSPB project previously tracked the movements of Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and European Shags from colonies around the UK during the breeding season. Now, hotspot mapping techniques have been applied to this data to identify the most important areas used during this crucial time.
Razorbill is Amber-listed and one of the four species included in the hot-spot mapping study (Damian Money).
All four species are either Amber- or Red-listed. The new research demonstrates the large areas required by UK seabirds and comes at a time when there is a vital need to understand more about our seabirds as decisions are being made relating to fishing, offshore windfarms and how we can best protect our seas.
Four different hot-spot mapping techniques were trialled during the project and provide a range of potential areas that could be considered for formal protection. The researchers recommend that the choice of hot-spot identification method should be informed by considering species ecology alongside conservation goals to ensure hot-spots are of sufficient size to protect target populations.
The protection of important areas of land and sea for birds is required by law through the creation of Special Protection Areas. The largest single marine SPA in the UK – the Outer Thames Estuary SPA – covers an area of 3,924 km2. However, the new analysis clearly shows that many hot-spots are larger than this, and under some of the mapping techniques exceed the total area covered by all current marine UK SPAs.
The mapping reveals that for Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills, the importance of the Scottish coast (particularly the east coast) was apparent. Important hot-spots for these species were also found around the Pembrokeshire coast (Wales), Rathlin Island (Northern Ireland) and the Yorkshire coast (England). For European Shags, hot-spots were smaller than observed in the other three species and were typically found in inshore coastal waters centred on the locations of their breeding colonies.
The results highlight the importance of large areas of UK waters for breeding seabirds demonstrating the urgent need, alongside effectively managed protected areas, for strategic, spatial marine planning and standardised industry-level regulations, to protect wide-ranging seabird species particularly in the context of increased efforts to decarbonise energy generation in UK waters.
Helen Quayle, RSPB Policy Officer said: "The next decade will be critical in determining how the UK reaches the net zero targets needed to tackle climate change. Significantly increasing energy generation from offshore wind will be key to decarbonising. However, left unchecked, continued offshore wind deployment will threaten the long-term conservation of globally important populations of seabirds which call the UK their home."
