A NEW Seabird Resilience Fund has been announced by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) to help safeguard the future of Scotland’s seabirds.
The £1.6m investment, funded by voluntary donations from a group of offshore renewable energy developers, aims to fund practical projects to protect seabirds from the many threats they face, both at sea and on land.
Seabird numbers have fallen dramatically between 1986 and 2023 amid pressure from a range of factors including climate change, invasive species and food availability.
The number of birds on the country’s coastal breeding grounds is now nearly half of what it was in 1986.
But there are signs of a brighter future for seabirds, with short term trends showing increased populations of black-legged kittiwake, European shag and common guillemot.
With renewable energy helping Scotland work towards net zero targets, this fund will support more direct action to help recover healthy seabird populations.
Thriving populations of seabirds are not only important for Scotland but globally.
Twenty-four species have their regular breeding grounds here, approximately 60% of the world’s breeding population of great skua, 46% of the world’s northern gannet and 16% of the world’s Manx shearwater.
This fund has the chance to support recovery and resilience that can contribute to global conservation goals.
To kick start the work of this programme, SMEEF will fund biosecurity survey work on vulnerable island habitats in the 2025 season.
Our island seabird populations are under real threat from invasive species, both animal predators, such as rats, and introduced plants that can cause habitat loss.
Following development work over the summer SMEEF, hosted by NatureScot, will announce a call for wider applications to the fund.
Cathy Tilbrook, NatureScot head of sustainable coasts and seas said: “The Seabird Resilience Fund will support action to address some of the many threats our seabird populations are facing.
“Funding on this scale comes at a crucial time.
“The challenge is significant but there are small signs of hope, with some populations stabilizing.
“We want to support that trend and deliver innovative projects to help seabirds to recover and thrive.”
Andrew Blyth, development director on behalf of Ossian Offshore Wind Farm, one of the donors to the fund, said: “We are delighted to contribute to this fund – our seas are a vital resource for us all.
“Scotland provides important breeding grounds for internationally significant populations of seabirds, an important indicator of marine health.
“We want to contribute to a healthy and resilient marine environment where nature can thrive alongside sustainable development such as clean energy.”
