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Current Status1
This plan addresses the seabird resource of the seas around South Western
England. Its scope is roughly coincident with British Fisheries Limits
in this area but excludes the waters around the Channel Isles. For a few
species (e.g. breeding terns), populations are relatively well described,
for others much less so e.g. wintering gannets). Important habitat features
are equally relatively poorly described.
Regional
distribution in the South West1
| County |
No.
of known sites/colonies |
Avon |
no info |
Cornwall |
no info |
Devon |
no info |
Dorset |
no info |
Gloucestershire |
no info |
Somerset |
no info |
Wiltshire |
no info |
Isles of Scilly |
no info |
Total South West |
no info |
Total UK |
no info |
Priority
Areas and natural areas in the South West1
{priority areas}
Basic Management
requirements1
Relevant ecology
Most seabirds are long-lived, with low annual mortality rates. Many
do not breed until several years old, and produce relatively few young
(in comparison with many species of land birds). Seabirds longevity
allows them good powers of recovery from natural fluctuations in population
numbers, providing they do not face chronic long-term threats to survival
Current
Factors affecting the species1
Poorly described populations (both breeding and particularly at sea)
Poorly described and understood marine habitat relationships
Fisheries management (e.g. by direct effects via food supply, indirect
effects via impacts on habitat quality).
Shipping (oil pollution)
Reproductive failure at colony sites due to ground predators (e.g. rats,
mink) and disturbance.
UK Biodiversity Objectives and proposed targets1
The UK biodiversity action plan process has produced
habitat statements for a series of relevant marine habitats: islands
and archipelagoes, inlets and enclosed bays, open coast, open sea water
column, shelf break and offshore sea-bed. These habitat statement only
identify broad areas for attention, and at present are relatively poorly
developed to encompass seabird concerns. No relevant seabird species
action plans are currently written in the UK plan process, but middle
list species-roseate tern and common scoter -should have UK plan in
1998.
South West biodiversity objectives and proposed
targets 1
OBJECTIVE 1
Maintain internationally important wintering populations of great
northern diver, storm petrel, gannet and great skua and Mediterranean
shearwater
TARGET:ongoing
OBJECTIVE 2
Maintain nationally important wintering populations
of black throated diver, red-throated diver, red-necked grebe, Slavonian
grebe, black necked grebe, shag, common scoter, guillemot and razorbill.
TARGET: ongoing
OBJECTIVE 3
Increase in numbers of breeding roseate terns (Isles of Scilly) to
at least ten pairs
TARGET: by 2005
OBJECTIVE 4
Increase numbers of breeding storm petrel and Manx Shearwater (isles
of Scilly) and little tern (Chesil Beach)
OBJECTIVE 5
Maintain number of breeding herring gull across the region
TARGET: ongoing
Current
Action 1
In the region some survey and monitoring is in place or planned, but
at sea, away from breeding colonies, this is at an early stage of development.
Local action plans are being implemented for the management of some
breeding sites, particularly terns on the Isle of Scilly. Some areas
using zoning as a means to reduce disturbance to breeding bird which
limits recreational activities such as rock climbing.
For important sea areas very little attention has been paid to identifying
key habitat features and the influence of human processes on them. Similarly,
since, even the most important areas are not only just being influenced
by specialists, their existence and conservation is yet to be widely
advocated.
Proposed
Action 1
Policy and legislation
none
Management
Identify appropriate protection mechanisms for internationally
important sites
LEAD: EN
PARTNERS: RSPB, SFCs, MAFF
Ensure appropriate protection mechanisms (as above) are implemented
(by 2000)
LEAD: EN, SFCs, MAFF
PARTNERS: RSPB
Develop and implement action plans (or management plans) to achieve
'maintain' objective following studies in 4& 5 (ongoing)
LEAD: RSPB, EN
PARTNERS: SFCs, FPOs, MAFF
Continue to implement Isles of Scilly tern action plan (ongoing)
LEAD: IoSET
PARTNERS: RSPB, EN
Develop above action to encompass other priority seabirds: storms petrel,
Manx shearwater, shag and lesser black-backed gull (by 1998)
LEAD: RSPB
PARTNERS: EN, IoSET
Seek opportunities to further define gannet and great skua populations
of western approaches/western English Channel area (by 2005)
LEAD: JNCC, RSPB, EN
PARTNERS: RSPB, Chesil Bank, The Fleet, NR,CE, IE
Enhance action for little terns on Chesil Beach (ongoing)
LEAD: EN
PARTNERS: RSPB/Chesil Bank and the Fleet NR/CE/IE
Establish significance (in populations terms) of urban breeding herring
gulls and seek to achieve broad consensus about management if appropriate
(by 2000)
LEAD: LAs
PARTNERS: RSPB/EN
Research and monitoring
Establish study to identify relevant habitat features, site boundaries,
significant human impacts and management issues for internationally important
South Cornwall nearshore sea areas (by 1998)
LEAD: RSPB, EN
As above for (i) Lyme Bay site and (ii) Hartland Point diver site (by
1999)
LEAD: RSPB, EN
Ensure internationally and nationally important sites are monitored on
at least a c10 year basis as part of agreed national census programmes
where these exist (by 2000/ongoing)
LEAD: JNCC, RSPB, EN, Seabird Group
Education
and awareness raising
Raise awareness of internationally and nationally important sites (e.g.
to SFCs, emergency planners) (by 1998)
LEAD: RSPB, EN
PARTNERS: LAs, WTs
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