14 BBC WILDLIFE December 2021
with their global population declining by
70 per cent since 1950,” says Beccy Speight,
chief executive officer of the RSPB.
“This designation will allow for the
protection of our seabirds and will help
restore the fish stocks they depend on.
It is also a good example of international
collaboration and how decision-makers
can put science into practice to protect
wildlife, halt species decline and revive
our world.”
However, Speight adds that ensuring
effective implementation of protective
measures in the area will
now be key. Simon BirchAtlantic, migrating across the globe, and
nesting in other parts of the world. Many
hundreds of thousands of seabirds that
breed in the UK were recorded there,
including kittiwakes from Rathlin Island
and Fair Isle; Manx shearwaters from the
islands of Lundy and Rum; and fulmars
from the Orkney Islands.
While the area is of year-round
importance, research has shown that the
winter months see the highest numbers
of seabirds, with an estimated five million
birds foraging in the area. It was only
recently identified as a major hotspot for
seabirds due to a pioneering collaborative
effort led by BirdLife International,
which involved tracking over 1,
seabirds from 21 species.
“This is fantastic news for
seabirds around the UK and globally,
which are in great need of protectionA
newly discovered major
hotspot for seabirds covering an
area roughly the size of France
in the north-east Atlantic has
been designated as a Marine
Protected Area.
The move, which was agreed
by 15 countries, including the
UK, has been welcomed by
conservationists as a critical step to ensure
the long-term biodiversity of the area and
protect millions of seabirds.
The North Atlantic Current and
Evlanov Seamount Marine Protected Area
lies approximately 1,500km west of Ireland
and is a vitally important feeding area
for over 20 species of migratory seabirds,
making it one of the most important
concentrations in the Atlantic.
The area is used by seabirds breeding
on the coasts surrounding the north-east“This is fantastic news
for seabirds, around
the UK and globally,”
says Beccy Speight,
CEO of the RSPBSeabird ocean hotspot
to be safeguarded
One of the largest Marine Protected Areas in
the world has been created in the Atlantic