Kittiwakes, puffins and
razorbills are some of England’s most treasured seabirds that
could benefit from proposed measures to ban sandeel fishing,
Defra has announced today (Tuesday 7 March).
The announcement comes ahead of
a new BBC wildlife documentary Wild Isles, presented by Sir David
Attenborough, that will explore how ecosystems and habitats
support wildlife around the UK, including the importance of
sandeels for our puffin population.
Sandeels are small, eel like
fish that are a vital food source to vulnerable seabirds,
commercially important fish species such as haddock and whiting,
and sea mammals including seals and whales.
Yet sandeel numbers are under
pressure from industrial fishing in the North Sea. Without
effective management measures, this threatens marine ecosystems
and poses a risk to the breeding success and population
resilience of UK seabirds - most notably, kittiwakes.
According to experts at Natural
England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Centre for
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, seabird abundance
could increase within 10 years as a result of the full banning of
industrial sandeel fishing in UK waters.
Defra has today launched a
consultation on proposed management measures for sandeel fishing
within English waters with the aim to reduce further negative
impacts on important marine biodiversity.
Environment Secretary
Thérèse Coffey said:
“Britain’s seabirds are
beautiful to observe and a treasured part of our coastal
environment and their existence and ways of life are crucial to
the wider health of our marine ecosystems.
“This consultation is an
important step in securing their protection and delivering our
commitment in the Environment Improvement Plan to halt the
decline of nature and allow wildlife to thrive”.
Katie-jo Luxton,
Director for Conservation at the RSPB said:
“This is huge news for the UK’s
efforts to save our iconic seabirds. Decades of increasing
‘human-induced’ pressures in our busy seas have left our seabirds
in a precarious state, and a ban on industrial trawling for
sandeels would throw our most threatened seabirds a lifeline in
the face of mounting pressures in our seas.
“This is a crucial moment;
after last year’s devastating outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian
Flu and with major new offshore energy developments planned,
there is an urgent need to build the resilience of our seabird
colonies as well as helping to rebuild the overall health of the
North Sea for all marine wildlife. Defra are to be congratulated
in coming forward with this consultation, which is a vital first
step in securing the UK-wide ban our seabirds need.”
The consultation, which will
run for 12 weeks until 30 May, builds on
the government’s commitments as part of the Environmental
Improvement Plan (Environmental Improvement Plan
(publishing.service.gov.uk)) to bring a halt to
the decline in our biodiversity and allow wildlife to thrive.
Under the plan the government will protect 30% of our land and
sea for nature and will launch a new multi-million pound Species
Survival Fund targeted at protecting our rarest species, from red
squirrels to grey seals.
This follows the historic
agreement of a global deal for nature reached by the UK and
nearly 200 countries at the UN Biodiversity summit last
year.
It builds on the work the
government is already doing to provide enhanced protections for
our marine environment, including the designation of the first three Highly
Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters
by July this year.
Highly Protected Marine Areas
will complement the existing network of Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs) already covering 40% of English waters. The Environmental
Improvement Plan also sets targets to drive the recovery of our
marine protected areas and the species and habitats within
them.
Notes to
editor:
