Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan Delivery Partnership minutes: November 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Caro Cowan, Marine Directorate (Chair)
• Nanjika Nasiiro, Marine Directorate
• Emma Philip, Marine Directorate
• Elaine Tait, Marine Directorate
• Jane MacPherson, Marine Directorate
• Blair Hunter, Marine Directorate
• Joel Hankinson, Offshore Wind Directorate
• Lucy Quinn, NatureScot
• Harry Huyton, Scottish Seabird Centre
• Hettie Pike, Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund
• David Anderson, Aberdeen Fish Producer’s Organisation
• Liz Humphreys, British Trust for Ornithology
• Kate Bellew, Crown Estate Scotland
• Helen McLachlan, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• Elspeth Macdonald, Scottish Fisheries Federation
• Colin Palmer, Scottish Renewables

Apologies

• Elena Balestri, Scottish Fisheries Federation
• Ellie Owen, National Trust for Scotland
• Helen Baker, Joint Nature Conservation Committee
• Alice Tirbooman, Scottish Renewables

Items and actions

Welcome, apologies and introductions

The Chair (CC) welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Seabird Conservation Action Plan (CAP) Delivery Partnership (herein referred to as the Partnership) and invited attendees to introduce themselves.

CC set out the rationale for the partnership, setting out the importance of working collectively between government, agencies, academia and eNGOs to take forward actions in the CAP, building on the work already underway. The group emphasised the importance of being action focused in its approach to the work.

Terms of Reference

A draft Terms of Reference (ToR) document was circulated in advance of the meeting. The following comments were made:

• addition of an annex setting out where there is crossover between seabirds and the different sectors
• meetings to be held quarterly, with the aim of one in-person meeting once a year. Agreed that one of these meetings will be more strategic to look at overall progress (annual review) with the others being a more detailed look at certain actions/workstreams with a specific focus on how the partnership can drive progress
• the membership of the group represents the broad spread of actions in the CAP, although other organisations can be invited to participate for specific meetings
• agreement that the minutes of the meeting will be published on the website once agreed

The ToR were agreed, subject to minor amendment, and will be recirculated to the delivery partnership. These will be reviewed annually.

Governance

There was discussion about the governance framework in which the CAP would operate with the following points were made:

• the CAP will operate within the governance framework of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, with the Delivery Partnership feeding into the Marine Evidence Programme Board
• recognising the relevant seabird strategies and initiatives under development across the UK governments, a UK coordination group will be established. This will focus on facilitating alignment and promoting synergies as appropriate

It was agreed that a section should be added to the ToR setting out the governance framework within which the CAP will operate.

Progress Updates

EP provided an update on progress with the CAP, following by updates on work underway. The following points and agreements were made:

• funding has been secured by Scottish Government, SMEEF and Crown Estate Scotland for an initial one-year period to support delivery of the CAP and a seabird restoration and resilience post. These posts will sit within NatureScot
• JNCC has established a UK seabird conservation science group (SCUAS) with the first workshop to be held on 26 November
• cross-directorate updates were provided regarding strategic compensation policy for offshore wind projects, fisheries management and Scotland’s Future Catching Policy, Marine Restoration Plan, and the Natural Environment Bill. Agreement that the partnership is a good opportunity to sense check what is underway and where we need to prioritise further action or focus
• updates were then provided by members of the Partnership. These included AFPO’s work on mitigation measures for seabird bycatch in longline gear and trawlers. Also, NatureScot confirmed that 12 applications for SMEEF funding has been received and were to be assessed against CAP criteria and ability to practically deliver action
• there is a need to clarify the interaction between this partnership and the work of the offshore wind directorate on strategic compensation

Draft delivery pathway and management of the Delivery Partnership

There was discussion about the development of a draft delivery pathway, which will set out how actions can be delivered, acknowledging the importance of alignment across partners. The following points were discussed and agreed:

• the need for a robust delivery pathway that will clearly set out who will lead on actions, with timely delivery dates and milestones, and a clear process to monitor progress. It was agreed that the partnership will collectively feed into the development of the pathway, including agreement on milestones. A subgroup to look at delivery mechanisms was suggested
• the need for a wider investment plan, capturing all funding opportunities, with Scottish Marine Restoration Fund and SMEEF suggested
• the need for an annual progress report to be delivered, beginning in September 2026, with the partnership contributing to its production
• the need to recognise the international dimension, including for example, the OSPAR Marine Bird regional action plan

Date of next meeting

The next meeting of the Partnership is planned for March 2026, with agreement to set dates for the next four meetings.

Any other Business

Actions

• update the ToR to include a section on the governance framework and an annex of seabird - sectoral crossover and circulate to the group in advance of the next meeting
• clarify the interaction between this partnership and the work of the offshore wind directorate on strategic compensation
• circulate a draft delivery pathway for agreement at the next meeting
• issue a doodle poll for dates for the next four meetings