The project Seabirds Count, the fourth census of Britain and Ireland’s internationally important populations of breeding seabirds, has been shortlisted in the Coasts and Waters Award at RSPB Scotland’s prestigious Nature of Scotland Awards.
Scotland is incredibly important both globally and at a European level for seabirds – it is home to 23 of the 25 seabird species which breed in Britain and Ireland, and half of the total population. Up to date information about their status is therefore critical to understanding the pressures impacting populations and for prioritising future conservation work.
Working in collaboration, RSPB and JNCC jointly secured funding to ensure that Scotland’s colonies were surveyed. Between 2015 and 2021, over 10,000 sites and 25 species were surveyed in Britain and Ireland to provide a comprehensive update on the state of the seabird populations. The census was achieved with the aid of approximately 1,000 volunteer and professional surveyors.
Pulling six years of census data together and analysing it was a huge task, led by JNCC. Both organisations worked closely with other experts to produce species assessments and publish the findings as a book, Seabirds Count.
The results of the seabird census came at a critical time, creating a baseline for progressing sustainable offshore industry plans, especially those linked to energy security, and to help conservationists better understand the continuing impacts of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), as well as being able to prioritise and measure the effectiveness of conservation actions in our seabird colonies and at sea.
Dr Helen Baker, JNCC, said: “We are thrilled to be short-listed for the award, it’s a fitting recognition of the enormous effort by not only the JNCC and RSPB seabird teams, but the many organisations and individuals who took part in the census. Scotland’s seabirds are spectacular, culturally important and one of the reasons people from around the world visit our coasts; the census can highlight where actions are needed to ensure the future of these iconic birds."
Seabirds Count was announced as a finalist at the Nature of Scotland Awards Shortlist Reception held at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by Graham Simpson MSP and sponsored by Suntory Global Spirits.
The winners of all 10 categories will be revealed at a celebratory event held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on the 28 November, where the 53 finalists will gather. RSPB Scotland has been running the awards for over a decade, and is grateful for the support of many supporters and sponsors including the 2024 headline sponsor NatureScot. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by BBC Landward presenters and nature enthusiasts Dougie Vipond and Arlene Stuart.
The Nature of Scotland Awards recognise individuals and organisations making a difference across local communities, schools, and businesses to support Scotland’s wildlife and natural environment.
Seabirds Count was coordinated by JNCC and developed by the original members of the Seabird Monitoring Programme which included the following organisations: BirdWatch Ireland, The British Trust for Ornithology, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland), Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Isle of Man), National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS, Republic of Ireland), JNCC, Manx Birdlife, Manx National Heritage, The National Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot), RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust, The Seabird Group, Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group, States of Guernsey Government, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Highland Ringing Group, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, and the University of Gloucestershire. Lead partners on the production of the Seabirds Count publication were JNCC, RSPB, NPWS and Birdwatch Ireland.