Sea birds in Cornwall such as the puffin, fulmar, Kittiwake and Balearic shearwater have been listed as endangered and vulnerable in the new list of Euorpean birds. The EU Red List of Birds, which was published yesterday is a groundbreaking three-year study which describes the conservation status of over 500 species. At the European level it lists 13% birds as threatened, and a further 6% near threatened. Of particular concern in the West Country are a number of the region's seabirds. Topping the list is the critically endangered Balearic shearwater, a visitor to the region's coastal waters particularly in summer and autumn. With a population estimated at just 3,200 pairs globally this bird faces threats from predation by introduced mammals where it breeds, and from fishing by-catch. There are concerns too for the ever popular puffin – a bird that breeds on the Isles of Scilly, Lundy and occasionally on the mainland in the region.
Tony Whitehead, spokesman for the RSPB in the South West, said; "The state of seabirds in Europe is particularly worrying and it's clear we need to work much harder to provide a well managed and properly protected marine environment as well as providing protection for coastal breeding colonies."
The puffin population in Iceland and Norway, which together account for 80% of the European population, decreased markedly since the early 2000s.
Although the population size was estimated to be increasing in the UK during 1969-2000, evidence suggests that it has undergone declines or probable declines since 2000.
As a result, the population size in Europe is estimated and projected to decrease by 50-79% during 2000-2065 (three generations).
Read more: http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Cornwall-puffin-named-endangered-vulnerable…
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