Gannets breed in a small number of densely packed colonies, which means that they are particularly vulnerable to the spread of the disease. This resulted in one of the biggest population crashes amongst seabirds, with a 54% collapse in gannet numbers in Wales, where 5,000 deaths were recorded on the RSPB island reserve of Grassholm in the west of the country.<\/p>
The report also revealed that avian flu has caused a 21% decline in the UK population of roseate terns, the UK\u2019s rarest breeding seabird.<\/p>
“More than three quarters of Britain’s great skua population has been lost.”<\/p><\/blockquote>
The H5N1 strain of avian flu spread to wild birds in 2021 with devastating consequences.<\/p>
\u201cThe findings from this new report are extremely worrying, confirming avian flu to be a major additional threat to our already struggling seabirds,\u201d says Jean Duggan, policy assistant on avian flu at the RSPB, which carried out the research alongside British Trust for Ornithology and other conservation bodies.<\/p>
\u201cWe knew the situation was bad for gannets and great skuas in particular, but it\u2019s worse than we thought.\u201d<\/p>Gannets breed in a small number of densely packed colonies, which means that they are particularly vulnerable to the spread of the disease. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Sandeel fishing ban: good news for seabirds<\/h2> Meanwhile, in some welcome good news, the long-term future of the UK\u2019s threatened seabirds \u2013 including gannets and great skuas \u2013 is looking more hopeful following the banning of industrial sandeel fishing in the English North Sea and in all Scottish waters.<\/p>
The move represents a significant victory for environmental groups which have been campaigning for a ban for decades.<\/p>
\u201cThe closure of sandeel fisheries will be a vital lifeline for our seabirds,\u201d says Jean Duggan. \u201cNow we need to build on this progress with further action to increase resilience and safeguard their future.\u201d <\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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