New funding to protect UK island seabird populations

The government has announced £156,000 to protect England’s island seabird populations against the threat of invasive predators.

This is one of the first instances globally of a central government providing funding to protect seabird islands against these specific threats.

Coquet Island is the only breeding place in the UK for Roseate terns which are a red listed species.

However, some key breeding populations are in decline due to multiple threats including invasive mammals such as stoats and mice.

The eggs and chicks of ground-nesting seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets, terns and European storm-petrels are particularly vulnerable, and their populations can quickly be decimated by invasive mammals.

The funding will be delivered through the AfterLIFE plan from July 2023. It will ensure existing biosecurity measures across England’s seabird islands are maintained and enhanced so we can continue to protect the recovery and secure the future of important seabirds.

It will also fund new measures including: The employment of a full time Biosecurity Officer; a conservation detection dog team that will train dogs to search for and indicate the presence of brown rats; information campaigns targeting island visitors; training of volunteers to support biosecurity implementation across England’s seabird island Special Protection Areas; frequent surveillance checks.

Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs Lord Benyon said: “British seabirds are part of what make our coastlines so beautiful, and it’s vitally important we continue to do all we can to protect each unique species and allow them to recover and thrive.”

RSPB’s principal marine policy officer Kirsten Carter said: “The islands of the UK are amazing, their relative isolation has allowed seabirds and other wildlife to thrive. But these wild and sometimes rugged places are delicate, protecting them requires constant vigilance as the precarious balance that has allowed wildlife to flourish can be easily disrupted with catastrophic consequences.

“We have seen how even just a single inadvertently introduced predator can have a devastating effect on an island where the native species have no natural defences. This is why today’s announcement to fund the Biosecurity AfterLIFE is so important as it enables the protection of these inspiring places for future generations.”