Save our seabirds
Your donation will support the RSPB’s Marine Recovery Programme, a bold and ambitious programme of work to put our seabirds and marine life on track for recovery.
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Save our seabirds
We’re at risk of losing some seabird species in just a few decades. Be part of the team tackling their biggest threats.
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Seabirds sounding the alarm
In the spring and summer months, the UK’s coastlines are home to vast colonies of breeding seabirds. Gannets rekindle life-long partnerships after months out at sea, Puffins dart in-and-out of burrows to feed hungry chicks and Kittiwakes forage in the wake of whales and dolphins.
But these bustling seabird cities are at risk of falling silent. Around the UK’s coasts, a staggering 62% of seabird populations are declining, and in Scotland, our seabird stronghold, this figure rises to 70%. Of all the world’s bird groups, seabird populations are plummeting faster than any other.
That’s not just bad news for seabirds – the health and the future of all marine life, and the many other species who depend on our seas, are at risk.
Help us take action on the ground and out at sea
Bycatch is an unwelcome side effect of industrial fishing, where birds and other marine life get tangled in nets and lines. The problem is so extreme that, globally, it is estimated that at least 720,000 seabirds, 300,000 cetaceans, 345,000 seals and sealions, 250,000 turtles and tens of millions of sharks are perishing unnecessarily each year.
Our Albatross Task Force has discovered simple measures that fishing fleets can use to catch fish without catching seabirds. In Namibia, for example, where around 20,000 seabirds were being killed every year, our collective efforts have helped the hake fleet achieve a 98% reduction in seabird deaths.
You can contribute to world-leading science
While renewable energy is a vital part of tackling the climate crisis, we need development to happen in the right place and in the right way. Science and research can help to safeguard our most important habitats.
Working alongside our BirdLife International partners, we are currently creating a global atlas of the most important foraging areas for seabirds in the world, with 3,000 sites identified so far. Using tiny tracking devices on thousands of seabirds, this data is helping to secure Marine Protected Areas.
In partnership with other UK environmental charities, we have successfully created the world’s first ‘blue carbon map’. Revealing the essential role of marine plants and sediments in storing carbon in UK seas and combatting climate change, the map is a powerful piece of evidence for protecting important marine areas.
Together, we can campaign for change
With over 80 million tonnes of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans caught each year, overfishing has vastly depleted seabirds’ food sources. We are taking fish at a rate faster than some populations can replenish – over a third (35%) of assessed global fish stocks are overfished.
After nearly 30 years of scientific research and campaigning, the RSPB’s supporters played a critical role in securing a closure to industrial sandeel fishing in the English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters. This will allow sandeel stocks to replenish, providing food for struggling Puffins and Kittiwakes.
Donate today
Seabirds need your support
We’re already achieving so much. But the scale of the challenge demands more. We need you on our team to help restore our ocean environment while we still have the chance.