Scottish seabird conservation action plan: government response to the consultation

Introduction

Seabird populations in Scotland are in decline. The recent seabird census, Seabirds Count and the Birds of Conservation Concern 5 report highlight that many of Scotland’s internationally important seabird populations are in trouble. The census revealed that almost two thirds of Scotland’s seabirds have declined over the last 20 years, with eight species declining by more than 50%.

Seabirds are vital to the marine ecosystem, and their decline signals broader environmental issues that affect livelihoods, food, and recreation. Co-ordinated action is therefore required to address seabird declines in Scotland.

The Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan sets out a vision for thriving seabird populations, with species showing increased abundance at breeding colonies since Seabirds Count. The action plan identifies over 50 priority actions to address the key pressures impacting seabird populations in Scotland such as, climate change, invasive mammalian predation, bycatch and reduction of prey and ultimately, where seabird conservation efforts are most needed and can be most effective. In recognition of the seriousness of declines in seabird populations at a UK level, the UK Government and other UK administrations are all working on seabird conservation plans, or equivalents. Collaborative working is embedded in these respective plans to ensure alignment where practical and consistency of approaches.

On 11 December 2024 the Scottish Government issued a public consultation seeking views on the action plan. The consultation asked four questions covering support for the implementation of the action plan, whether the action plan has identified all the key pressures on Scotland’s seabird populations, and the actions required to address the vision, aims and objectives set out in the action plan. It also asked for views on how the action plan should be monitored.

Following the conclusion of the consultation on 5 March 2025, an external consultancy firm, Griesbach & Associates, was appointed by the Scottish Government to undertake an independent analysis of the consultation responses (Analysis of Consultation Responses)

A total of 107 substantive responses were received from individuals (81%) and organisations (19%) including the fishing sector, renewable energy developers and environmental non-government organisations (eNGOs), as well as 5,264 submissions from a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) campaign.