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Chamber and committees

International Importance of Scotland's Seabird Population

  • Submitted by: Maurice Golden, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-14424

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the international importance of Scotland’s seabird populations, given that Scotland reportedly hosts more than half of the UK’s seabirds; underscores what it believes is their status as one of Scotland's, and the world’s, most precious biodiversity treasures; marks the publication of the latest Birds of Conservation Concern report into breeding seabirds across Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, which provides evidence on the status and trends in those populations; notes with alarm that the report shows that, out of the 23 species that breed in Scotland, nine are now Red-listed, with only two on the Green list of least conservation concern; further notes that Leach’s Storm-petrel, Great Skua, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Arctic Tern have been added to the Red list; considers that it is possible to take constructive action for seabirds, including island biosecurity, effective spatial management and improving the way fisheries are managed to avoid bycatch and overfishing of key prey species, which will help them recover and build their resilience to current and future pressures, and believes that the forthcoming Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy and the Natural Environment Bill should deliver urgent and ambitious action to reverse what it sees as the catastrophic trends in Scotland’s seabirds and that these actions will need effective resourcing.


Supported by: Ariane Burgess, Maggie Chapman, Sharon Dowey, Christine Grahame, Monica Lennon, Roz McCall, Mark Ruskell, Paul Sweeney, Tess White