Seabird Survey Campaign in the North Sea
EDR’s Environmental Director, Nick Robinson, conducted an important seabird survey campaign in the North Sea in May 2022.
The black-legged kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae and is a true oceanic gull in its habits which primarily nests on vertical rocky sea-cliffs. In Britain, the largest and most numerous colonies are found along the North Sea coasts. Colony size varies from less than ten pairs to tens of thousands, but the locations of these colonies tend to be traditional over many decades. Although most colonies are on sheer cliffs, in a few instances man-made structures such as buildings, bridges, sea walls and even offshore oil installations are being used.
The UK breeding population is believed to be around 380,000 pairs, which represents almost 10% of the world population. As with many species of seabird, black-legged kittiwake populations are declining, and the black-legged kittiwake is currently identified as a conservation priority with specific legal protection.
In early 2021, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) published an Advice Note on Seabird Survey Methods for Offshore Installations for Black-legged kittiwakes to minimise the potential risk of an offshore oil and gas operator committing an offence regarding wild birds during operations, specifically decommissioning of its installations.
In order to establish whether birds are nesting on an installation a detailed survey is required. The survey findings are used to inform the planning and scheduling of works to avoid the risk of an offence and / or to determine whether a wild birds’ licence needs to be sought.
EDR continue to be at the forefront of marine environmental science and remain dedicated to the conservation and responsible management of marine wildlife.
Nick Robinson
Tel: +44 (0) 333 358 3308
May 2022