Seabirds
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S3M-2794, in the name of Nanette Milne, on seabirds. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes with concern recent data from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Scotland highlighting another terrible season for Scotland's breeding seabirds, notably Arctic skuas, Arctic terns and kittiwakes; is alarmed that many of our internationally important species have now suffered successive poor breeding seasons over a period of years, with evidence suggesting that the Scottish populations of these species are experiencing substantial declines; notes that Scotland is an internationally important breeding ground for seabirds, with spectacular coastal seabird colonies in areas such as north-east Scotland and the Northern Isles containing 45% of the European Union's breeding populations; further notes that seabird populations are a key health indicator for the marine environment as a whole, and considers that the forthcoming Scottish marine bill offers an opportunity to examine what can be done to address the catastrophic decline of our seabird populations.
I thank the members from all parties who have taken the time to sign my motion. I especially welcome the signature of the minister, Roseanna Cunningham, albeit that she signed it in her previous guise as a humble back bencher. I am sure that her elevation to the ministerial team has in no way diluted her interest in the subject, and I look forward to hearing her response at the end of tonight's debate. I also congratulate her on her promotion and wish her well as she gets to grips with her new role, appropriately during Scottish environment week.
Scotland can rightly be proud of its world-class bird-life and its reputation as an ornithologist's paradise. From the Highlands and Islands to the south-west and along the east coast, our small country is home to numerous rare and interesting species. Given our magnificent coastline and island habitats, it is no surprise that it is our seabirds for which Scotland is arguably most famous. From Sumburgh in the Shetlands to St Abbs in the Borders, and from Ailsa Craig in the west to the Isle of May in the east, our spectacular colonies house 45 per cent of the European Union's breeding seabirds and are of international importance. They also generate significant tourism revenue, as members who represent our coastal communities will know.
It is therefore a tragedy that the subject before us tonight has arisen. There have been not simply one but successive poor seasons for our seabirds over a period of years. Populations can recover from one or two bad seasons, but it is clear that year after year of little or no breeding success will have a catastrophic impact on the survival of certain species.
The numbers involved are frightening. In some cases, we have witnessed the near collapse of colonies. At North Hill on Papa Westray in the Orkneys, more than 1,000 Arctic tern nests were abandoned early in the 2008 season, thereby failing to fledge a single chick. Also affected is the beautiful Arctic skua, which is a bird on the edge of its world range in Scotland. Reserves run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the northern isles witnessed a 30 per cent decline in nesting pairs, with only three chicks fledging last year. Dr Douglas Gilbert, an RSPB ecologist, has said that the outlook is dire for the three worst affected species—the Arctic tern, the Arctic skua and the kittiwake.
Only yesterday, on the eve of this debate, the National Trust for Scotland, whose properties are home to nearly a fifth of Scotland's seabirds, warned that if current trends continue
"the evocative cries of the kittiwake, that much-loved feature of our coastal cliffs, could be consigned to folk memory".
Even the iconic puffin could be in trouble, with the population on the Isle of May declining by 28,000 pairs in a period of just five years.
We abuse our oceans at our peril, and the decline in seabirds is an indicator that all is not well with the ecosystem as a whole. The issue is complex, but it appears that the main problem is a shortage of food, which is driven by the warming of our seas, particularly in the north-east Atlantic, where winter temperatures tend to be higher and which appears to have seen the worst decline. According to the RSPB, the biomass of zooplankton there has dropped by 70 per cent. Not only has the abundance changed, but the prevalent cold-water species is progressively being replaced by a warmer water species.
Zooplankton are eaten by sand eel larvae, so they too have declined in number, and the birds that normally use them as their preferred diet are being forced to feed their young on pipefish instead. That often results in the chicks' choking on the bony pipefish or starving due to the low nutritional value of that alternative source of food. The following quote from the seabird ranger on St Kilda during the 2005 season underlines the terrible consequences:
"As soon as we entered the puffin colony, we could tell something was wrong. As we started to investigate marked burrows our hearts sank, as we were finding burrow after burrow with either no chick or a dead one lying in the nest. Pipefish were all over the ground throughout the colony, and many of the burrows were full of piles of rotting pipefish which the young were unable to eat."
Adult birds, too, are suffering from a lack of food, and many are not attempting to breed at all.
After successive bad seasons, I fear that we could be in the early stages of an ecological catastrophe. All of us, perhaps, are guilty of not sitting up and taking notice sooner, but we still have the opportunity at least to attempt to do something.
The marine environment is clearly sensitive to climate change. We will need to take a strong and sustainable approach in the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill if we are to overcome the problem. The forthcoming marine bill, too, can be a vehicle to improve the resilience of the marine environment if it includes measures to protect some of our most precious wildlife from overexploitation and the damaging effects of development, thereby ensuring that all our marine resources are managed sustainably. Combating the warming of our seas is no easy task. In the short term, measures must be sought that give greater protection to fragile ocean habitats if we are to avoid the possibility of a future of lifeless seas and empty oceans.
The Government must work closely with everyone who has expertise in the subject to examine what can and must be done. Future generations will not forgive us if we simply preside over the loss of the great seabird colonies for which Scotland has long been renowned. It is our duty to ensure the preservation of those ecological treasures, and I look forward to hearing the views of members and the minister.
I congratulate Nanette Milne on securing the debate on a motion that has the support of some 28 members of different parties in the Parliament, which demonstrates people's concern about the issue. I also congratulate Roseanna Cunningham on her much-deserved elevation.
There are approximately 8 million seabirds, of 25 species, in the United Kingdom. About half of them are in Scotland—indeed, for four species, some 95 per cent of the population of the British isles is in Scotland. Seabirds are a more significant issue in Scotland than they are in other parts of the British isles and Europe.
The census figures for 1970 to 2000 seem to suggest that there is less cause for concern, because populations that fell between 1970 and the 1987 census bounced back, but, as Nanette Milne said, the decline since 2000 has been much more serious. There are several major factors in the decline. Food availability is clearly a major influence on breeding performance, as Nanette Milne said eloquently, and it is affected by, for example, the commercial fishery and climatic fluctuations. Two thirds of seabirds in the North Sea in summer are thought to feed to some extent on fishery waste, and the abundance of commercial fishing discards has been linked to population change in some species. Of course, commercial fisheries—in particular the sand eel fishery—can have a substantial negative impact on food availability.
Predation is an issue in areas where birds breed. Rats, feral cats and American mink can have a severe impact on breeding and adult survival. Over the years, many projects have attempted to eliminate rats and mink, and there have been attempts to cull or remove hedgehogs, which prey on eggs.
Drowning in nets is also a problem. Monofilament drift nets, which are no longer really used, caused a big decline in auk species such as puffins in the 1980s. Chronic oil pollution and illegal discharges have a greater impact than occasional accidental spills, and pesticide residues and other toxic chemicals have been implicated in population crashes. Work that has been done throughout the world has shown that the plastic bags that are discarded by the billion are found in high levels in dead seabirds, including in Scotland. Culling, egg collection, hunting for feathers and sport also have an impact.
We are not talking about just a Scottish problem. I lodged a motion on seabirds on 3 January 2008, not on Scottish seabirds but on the albatross, because 19 of the world's 22 albatross species are being driven to extinction, for example by long-line fishing, which is completely unnecessary. There has therefore been a severe impact on our seabirds across the world, but work is being done to try to improve the situation. For example, the sea eagle project, which is about returning our most magnificent bird of prey to our coasts, has had some success.
As has been said, we must emphasise in the forthcoming marine bill the need to consider seabirds and try to ensure that a significant amount of the additional 130,000 square miles of sea area that we will have to look after is dedicated not just to fishing but to conservation.
Climate change is of course a major issue. Everyone—from Scottish Natural Heritage to the RSPB—is concerned about changes to sea temperature and other issues that impact on biomass and zooplankton, which in turn impacts seriously on our seabird populations. We should remember that some species are more resilient than we perhaps imagine. For example, the significant long-term decline that we see in the number of cliff-nesting birds is not always seen in species that nest elsewhere.
I add my support to that of others for Nanette Milne's motion. I hope that minds are focused on what we can do to improve the life expectancy of our seabird population and the health of breeding populations so that the populations that we see now will exist for future generations.
As other members have, I welcome the opportunity that is offered by the debate and I support the motion, which is well crafted and captures the essence of the problem, as well as pointing to actions that could help in the future. I welcome, too, the Minister for Environment to her place. I bet that she is delighted that her boss has just left and that he is not looking over her shoulder at her first ministerial speech. It was very generous of him to show support, but to leave at the appropriate juncture.
The issue in the motion is important and deserves an airing in Parliament, so I am glad that Nanette Milne has secured the debate. As members may know, birdwatching is a passion of mine, and one that I share with a number of other members across the parties. I am a very amateur birdwatcher, but I derive pleasure from it, as do many hundreds of thousands of people in this country, which brings all sorts of economic benefits.
In my time, I have managed to live in Orkney for a couple of years, which has important colonies of seabirds that I enjoyed watching. Representing the Highlands and Islands region, I get the chance to travel to Shetland, Orkney, and the Western Isles and round the coasts of the Highlands, which are very important areas for bird populations. In the spring or summer, it is truly wondrous to see the sea cliffs in those areas occupied by seabirds and full of their raucous noise. There are kittiwakes, gannets, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, puffins and the like, displaying and doing what they are supposed to do: raising the next generation of birds. That is what is under threat.
The recorded declines in numbers are alarming, although numbers fluctuate—as Kenny Gibson said—and there are good and bad years. However, the trends appear to be damaging. That is intrinsically alarming, but it has economic effects, too. People come to my part of the world to follow their birdwatching hobby and they spend their money there. There are, therefore, potential economic effects of bird population loss.
However, the motion points to a much more important reason why we should be concerned about our seabirds. The seabird population is a good indicator of the health of the wider marine environment because it is visible and measurable; it is a good barometer of the changes that are taking place. It is not just about changes to the health of the sea and pollution, although Kenny Gibson rightly talked about the effect, for example, of plastics in the sea and it can affect birds.
The problem is also about the overexploitation of certain species in the sea. There are also bigger changes due to climate change. The seas are getting warmer and the species that birds feed on, such as sand eels, anchovies, squid and sardines, are moving progressively further north. Those fish on the move sometimes take the birds further from the bird colonies that depend on them, so greater journeys have to be made to secure food and there is less feeding of chicks, which can cause difficulty.
Changes in salinity levels near the top of the water have effects on the surface-feeding birds as well as on things that tend to live close to the surface. Falls in salinity levels affect the whole wider ecosystem at that level in the sea. Similarly, the changes in plankton that Kenny Gibson mentioned can, to an extent, lead to warmer water species taking over from cold-water species, which differ in their volume and mass—or biomass—and in their nutritional value. In addition, plankton blooms may be out of sync with the breeding cycle of the birds. Again, that has an impact on feeding.
Such changes can be seen not just on cliffs. When I was in Shetland about 18 months ago, I visited Mousa island, where there used to be a large tern colony. The colony still has a large number of adult terns, but there was not a single chick at the time of my visit. That is typical of what is happening the length and breadth of the north. The situation is very alarming.
It is easy to record what the problem is, but we also need to address what we need to do about it. Perhaps the minister can use some of her new-found influence in Government to try to make a difference. Let me mention four points quickly. First, we should increase our research to increase our understanding of what is happening. Secondly, we need to redouble our efforts under the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill to combat climate change so that we meet the 3 per cent target that was originally set out. Thirdly, we need to deal with commercial sand eel exploitation, which is carried out particularly by the Danish fleet. Such exploitation is not the only reason for the changes, but it adds to the problem. Finally, we should look at how we manage our inshore fisheries and consider the potential for marine protected areas in that context.
Scotland is internationally important for seabirds. I hope that, among her many priorities, the minister will give the matter attention and action.
I, too, congratulate my colleague Dr Nanette Milne on securing this important debate, and I welcome the new minister to her portfolio. I look forward to robust exchanges of views, such as we have had in the past.
As one of those who were fortunate enough to be invited by the RSPB on its spring boat trips down the Forth to observe seabirds, I am delighted to say a few words in tonight's debate. In the part of Fife where I make my home, we are fortunate enough to have the Tentsmuir forest and adjacent sands, which are wonderful breeding grounds for terns and eider ducks. We also have the Isle of May a few miles off the Fife coast, which is, as Nanette Milne said, one of Europe's foremost breeding grounds for seabirds.
Here I have a confession to make: a misspent youth that included collecting birds' eggs. I have no excuses, other than that some of Scotland's foremost and renowned ornithologists began their careers in similar ways. As I scoured the local waterways and woodlands to add to my egg collection, how could I have known that I was embarking on a love affair with wild birds that would endure to this day? That love is shared by countless thousands, as Peter Peacock pointed out, and is worth millions of pounds to Scotland's tourism economy.
Of course, it is of concern that many of our coastal breeding species are declining, largely due to lack of food. As we have heard, warming of the North Sea has meant decreases in the sand eel population, which in turn seems to be responsible for the collapse of key seabird populations. The Climate Change (Scotland) Bill and the forthcoming marine bill offer opportunities to examine what can be done to address the problem. I hope that, with international co-operation—including suspension of industrial sand eel fisheries—our prolific seabird colonies can yet be restored.
Tonight, I want to talk briefly about an iconic seabird species—Kenny Gibson also mentioned it—that is bucking the trend by expanding from the remote west coast to the east of Scotland. What is more, this species contributes hugely to the tourism economies of Mull and Skye and could soon start to do the same along the east coast. White-tailed eagles, or sea eagles, were reintroduced from Norway in the 1970s. These magnificent birds were once indigenous to Scotland and are even larger than their cousins, our native golden eagles. There are now 44 breeding pairs on the west coast. That is a hugely encouraging native population that seems set to grow. In 2007, the RSPB launched a project to reintroduce those magnificent predators to the east coast of Scotland. Around 100 sea eagle chicks are planned to be released over five years from sites up and down the east coast. Around 20 chicks have already been set free and another 20 will arrive from Norway in May of this year. Hopes are high that some of the birds that were originally released in 2007 might start mating this year or next.
To catch a glimpse of a sea eagle in flight is a breathtaking experience. Last year, Fife shopkeepers were fortunate enough to see a sea eagle swooping over a Kirkcaldy supermarket, and they have been regularly spotted at Tentsmuir in north-east Fife. Sightings have also been reported elsewhere in the area, including Loch Leven and the Isle of May.
When the east coast birds finally choose nesting sites, the plan is to select an observation hide so that the public can be encouraged to watch them. That could bring hosts of tourists, as it has done with the Mull observatory. Early indications are that the east coast birds are preying largely on geese and rabbits along the Tay and Eden estuary, with regular visits to parts of Perthshire, including Glenalmond and Loch Tay. So, not least from a tourism perspective, the minister and I will be hoping that these noble birds choose either of or both our constituencies to establish permanent breeding sites.
Complaints have been made about sea eagles preying on lambs, particularly around Gairloch in Wester Ross. A research project is under way to establish the truth about Gairloch. It is worth noting that when similar complaints were made on Mull, research established that although sea eagles do take lambs, the numbers had been very much overstated. Compensation is also paid where appropriate.
On the east coast, where sheep husbandry is different, there have been no complaints so far about lambs being taken. Of course, local RSPB managers on the ground react quickly to any complaints. Since the east coast is also a richer natural habitat, there are high hopes that the new colony will be even more successful than the one on the west coast. Although we should be aware of the problems that face our seabird flocks, predators such as sea eagles are minimal contributors to those problems, and it is gratifying that at least one seabird species appears to be facing a bright future.
I am pleased to be here for my debut performance as a new minister in the Government in response to my good friend Nanette Milne's motion. Earlier today, I was racking my brains trying to remember whether I had signed it. She has resolved that for me, but I fear that that might not be the only time that my back-bench activities and comments are referred to in the chamber. I expect that I shall have to get used to that.
I thank everyone for their congratulations; in turn, I congratulate Nanette Milne on securing the debate. As she rightly says, Scotland's marine environment is a wonderful resource and our seabird populations are a valuable part of that marine environment. The seabird populations are of European and global renown, and they attract visitors from all over the United Kingdom, Europe and the rest of the world. Peter Peacock made the point very well about how important they are. We tend to forget that our environment and the animals that exist there do not exist in vacuum; they are part and parcel of what makes this country what it is, and what makes it an attractive destination for people from around the world.
The Government shares the concerns about recent reports of yet another poor breeding season in 2008 for seabird populations. We are particularly concerned about the Arctic skua, the kittiwake and the Arctic tern. A great deal of valuable work is being carried out on RSPB reserves across Scotland—I echo Ted Brocklebank's appreciative comments about that. The Government and nature conservation agencies work closely with the RSPB to monitor seabirds, and a recent report highlights serious declines in 2008 in certain species that were surveyed by the RSPB. However, it is important to point out that that report also highlights the fact that some species—great skuas, gannets and cormorants—have increased in number. Peter Peacock talked about those fluctuations.
Ted Brocklebank also talked about the successful reintroduction of white-tailed sea eagles. However, if they start nicking people's sandwiches, we might get more than a few complaints, so we should hope that they are not interested in tuna fish and that they stick to rabbits.
The problem is that the fluctuations show the difficulty faced by the Government and nature conservation agencies in diagnosing the causes of decline in particular seabird species, because there is no obvious, across-the-board decline. Clearly, we need to take a careful look at the underlying reasons for all declines.
One of the key issues is the reduced availability of the preferred food source, which both Nanette Milne and Kenneth Gibson spoke about. The problem looks like it might come down to our old friend, climate change, and the impact of rising sea surface temperatures. In particular, birds that like sand eels, such as kittiwakes, are experiencing major problems because they are not getting their food supply in the summer months, which affects their ability to nest and rear their young. If they cannot get sand eels, they turn to pipefish, which simply do not give them the necessary nourishment. The situation is analogous to people trying to meet all their nutritional needs just by eating chips, which is simply not possible; the same is true of seabirds and pipefish.
The fact that seabirds live for a long time enables them to cope with poor breeding seasons, but what they are now experiencing goes beyond natural fluctuations; the present run of successive poor seasons is far more serious. The result is few chicks and low populations.
Scotland has a good track record of taking positive action to meet the needs of seabirds, but before I discuss what measures are being taken, I turn briefly to the issue of reduced discards. The evidence appears to show that discards artificially elevated seabird populations, so the fact that discards have been reduced might not be having a direct effect on population decline, notwithstanding the issue's importance in specific areas. We must be careful about the overall mix.
Peter Peacock mentioned sand eel fisheries. Examples of Scotland's good track record are the closure of the Wee Bankie sand eel fisheries off the east coast and the voluntary measures that have been taken around Shetland. However, despite those closures, seabird populations are still declining, which suggests that the issue is more complicated. That is where climate change rears its ugly head. We must continue to monitor sand eel populations, sea-surface temperatures and seabird populations.
I have a brief but, I hope, helpful point of information.
This has been a fascinating debate, which has moved me greatly, but one area in which we in Scotland might, unfortunately, be profiting from what is happening is the process that is carried out at the Mossmorran plant in Fife whereby polypropylenes are refined out of North Sea gas. Given that polypropylenes are one of the major sources of the world's plastic bag population, it might be possible to put a bit of pressure or bring some influence to bear on the polypropylene producers so that some cash could be obtained for scientific research purposes.
That is an extremely interesting suggestion. We are already making quite big inroads into the use of plastic carrier bags through a different form of action. It is important to involve the private sector when we can.
We are, of course, taking measures to tackle climate change—the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill is going through the Parliament. We are also working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to identify and designate special protection areas for seabird populations. A number of SPAs have been designated, others are being consulted on and we are working on the identification of further such areas.
However, discussion of potential SPAs is not always met with enthusiasm by local human populations. Explanation of how important seabirds are to us as human beings is part and parcel of the education that we must undertake; seabirds should not be seen as separate species that are of lesser relevance.
We realise that existing measures may not be enough to arrest the decline among iconic species. However, we are committed to safeguarding biodiversity and to protecting internationally renowned seabird populations. That will be part and parcel of our work on the forthcoming Scottish marine bill. That bill has been mentioned by a number of members so I will not go into it in great detail now. There will be more time in Parliament to discuss the bill and its relevance to seabird populations.
We are, of course, concerned about declining populations. Scotland is unique and has unique seabird populations. They act as indicators for much more than just sand eels; they are almost like canaries for the seas. We will have to keep a close eye on what is happening to them.
We will want to continue all the work that we are currently doing, expanding it where possible. That will be done through the marine bill and the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill. We value the contributions of all the Scottish and United Kingdom non-governmental organisations, such as the RSPB and Scottish Environment LINK. We are aware of the problem and are constantly on top of the measures that will be required in our efforts to fix the problems. The issue is very complicated, and I thank Nanette Milne for ensuring that it was brought before the Parliament.
Meeting closed at 17:40.