Seabird Action Plan launches at critical time but must now be delivered

Marine conservation and education Charity, the Scottish Seabird Centre, welcomed Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin, to the Centre today (Wednesday 13 August) for the launch of the Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan.

Scotland is home to internationally important seabird colonies. Around a third of Europe’s breeding seabirds return to our coasts and islands each year to breed. This incredible wildlife spectacle is an integral part of summer in Scotland but, without urgent action, one that we risk losing forever. The combined impact of climate change, overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, and diseases like avian flu, are decimating our seabirds. 70% of Scotland’s seabird species are in decline, with some of our most loved, including puffins, on the brink of extinction.

Harry Huyton, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre said:

"From the great gannet colonies on St Kilda and Bass Rock, to the puffin burrows that crowd the grassy slopes of Unst and the Isle of May, Scotland is blessed with extraordinary seabird populations. Many are of international importance, yet most seabird species in Scotland are in decline. Urgent, transformative action is needed to save them. The ambition and actions set out in the new Seabird Action Plan are what's needed, but it's critical that they are now delivered with urgency and fully embedded across Government."

“While we welcome the Seabird Action Plan, it follows the devastating decision earlier this month to consent Berwick Bank offshore windfarm, which is projected to kill tens of thousands of seabirds. Ultimately, it’s actions that count and unless this strategy results in a significant in approach from the Scottish Government, it will be worthless.”

Image credits and captions:

High-res images available to download here.

Image credits: Puffins on the Isle of May © Greg Macvean; Gannets on the Bass Rock © Greg Macvean

Note these images are free to use for this story only.

ENDS

For further press information:

Jess Thompson, Marketing Manager, email jesst@seabird.org, tel: +44(0)1620 890202.

Notes for editors

The Scottish Seabird Centre is an award-winning marine conservation and education charity based in the stunning coastal town of North Berwick. Their mission is to inspire and educate people about the exceptional wildlife that Scotland’s seas support, motivating them to take action to protect it by supporting marine conservation and restoration projects.
In May 2025 the Charity celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of its Visitor Centre doors to the public. Over the years the organisation has won multiple awards for tourism and sustainability.
The Charity has led a range of high-profile conservation and education projects including the SOS Puffin initiative in the Firth of Forth.
Follow the Scottish Seabird Centre on Facebook/ScottishSeabirdCentre. X/@SeabirdCentre and Instagram/@seabirdcentre
For more information on the Scottish Seabird Centre visit https://www.seabird.org/about-us

Notes

Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan launched 13 August 2025
Actions to protect Scotland’s seabirds to be consulted on by the Scottish Government as the Draft Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan is launched in December 2024.
Developed in partnership with NatureScot, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and British Trust for Ornithology, the plan sets out over 50 actions including: enhancing food availability, providing safe nesting areas, increasing survival prospects, key research and monitoring of Scottish seabirds, and promoting awareness and international engagement.

Key Facts about Scotland’s marine environment

Scotland has over 18,000km of coastline, in excess of 900 islands, 61% of the UK total sea area.
The area of Scotland’s seas is about 6 times the land mass of Scotland.
Scotland’s seas support an amazing diversity of wildlife with over 6,500 species recorded.
A third of Europe’s breeding seabirds are found in Scotland.
Seabirds are one of the world’s most threatened groups of vertebrates and one in three species are globally threatened with extinction, including populations of Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) which are enjoyed by visitors to the Firth of Forth.
Important marine species include basking sharks, dolphins, porpoises and seals. About 35% of Europe’s harbour (or common) seal population also occur in UK waters with 83% of these found around Scotland’s coast.
Underneath the water Scotland supports important marine habitats such as cold-water coral, kelp forests and flame shell beds (an important blue carbon resource).
Our oceans are important natural resource for combatting the effect of climate change. 83% of global carbon cycle is circulated through the world’s oceans and our coastal habitats account for around 50% of the total carbon sequestered in ocean sediments.
Healthy seas, however, have huge potential to provide natural solutions to the climate emergency by locking up carbon and helping the planet to cool.
In the last 50 years we have lost 2% of the oxygen in our oceans as a direct result of climate change, this is already having a devastating impact on our marine eco-systems and if left unchecked will be catastrophic for food security the world over.