News releases

Marine conservation and education charity the Scottish Seabird Centre has this week called for the Scottish Government to take action to address concerns over seabird bycatch. This is when seabirds are killed after being unintentionally caught on hooks or entangled in fishing lines and nets.

The Scottish Seabird Centre’s annual Marine Fest returns for a 6th year on 21 May. The five-day festival (21 – 25 May) is packed with walks, talks and workshops that help locals and visitors connect with the amazing marine wildlife that Scotland’s seas support.

New research is shedding light on the health of one of the UK’s most important seabird colonies, suggesting it may be stabilising after the devastating outbreak of avian flu in 2022.

The team at the Scottish Seabird Centre have spotted puffins returning to islands in the Firth of Forth on their live cameras for the first time this year. An important site for seabirds, the Forth is home to the largest colony of breeding puffins on the East Coast of Scotland, the Isle of May, as well as one of the world’s largest colonies of Northern gannets on the Bass Rock. This first sighting is an exciting and hopeful reminder that the seabird breeding season is about to begin, particularly after a rough and stormy winter that saw thousands of dead puffins washing up on coastlines around Europe.