Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
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20,000 Dead Guillemots (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Andy Adcock
- Start date
DMW
Well-known member
What a disaster. I've seen quite a few sick Guillemots in the last few weeks, and wondered if there had been an incident locally.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Any ringing recovery info on which colonies they are from?
Nohatch
Mad scientist
Study just out (link in Dutch sorry): https://resource.wur.nl/nl/wetenschap/show/Zeekoeten-dood-door-slechte-jeugd.htm
Cause was low weight of young birds upon leaving the breeding grounds (mostly E Scotland). No evidence was found for disease, poison or plastic being the cause of death (or that container ship that lost part of its cargo). The article also mentions that mass strandings like these are not uncommon, but are a worrying phenomenon (less food available to the colonies) and part of a further UK-Dutch investigation. The total number of dead birds equated to 2% of the Guillemot population wintering on the North Sea.
Cause was low weight of young birds upon leaving the breeding grounds (mostly E Scotland). No evidence was found for disease, poison or plastic being the cause of death (or that container ship that lost part of its cargo). The article also mentions that mass strandings like these are not uncommon, but are a worrying phenomenon (less food available to the colonies) and part of a further UK-Dutch investigation. The total number of dead birds equated to 2% of the Guillemot population wintering on the North Sea.
Nohatch
Mad scientist
Yes they are one of the main food sources during the breeding season - and under pressure from both commercial fishing and global warming.
The fishing is mostly because of their high oil content, so we use them to get that healthy omega-3 into farmed salmon and stuff like that. A pretty sorry state of affairs really.
http://blueplanetsociety.org/2009/06/where-have-all-sandeels-gone/
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Not just warming seas, Sandeels have been massively over fished for use as fertilizer among other things.
Roll on Brexit, get all those foreign factory ships out of UK waters, screw the common fisheries policy.
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pianoman
duck and diver, bobolink and weaver
For fertilizer?? Good Lord. When I buy Blood fish and bone meal for the vegetables I always assumed it was from by-products of the food industry, now I will have to look closer
Nohatch
Mad scientist
Some truly depressing numbers about over-fishing in this Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-stop-eating-fish-fishing-industry-government
I disagree with the title though: what is needed is strict regulation, breaking up the monopolies, proper enforcement and certification of the product. This is well within the power of our governments (or the EU for that matter) to sort out - but evidently not in their business interest.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-stop-eating-fish-fishing-industry-government
I disagree with the title though: what is needed is strict regulation, breaking up the monopolies, proper enforcement and certification of the product. This is well within the power of our governments (or the EU for that matter) to sort out - but evidently not in their business interest.
