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No One Wants To Be On The Red List

Puffins On The Isle Of May
Puffins On The Isle Of May

Tamara drew my attention to an article by the Royal Society For the Protection of Birds that describes new birds on the Red List.

In the UK every six years or so, conservation organisations get together to estimate the numbers of native bird species in the UK.

From that they put the birds on a list – Green, Amber, or Red List. Those on the Red List are the most in danger.

More of the UK’s seabird species are declining faster, with five new species – the Arctic Tern, Leach’s Petrel, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Great Skua are now on the Red List.

It’s crazy – the Black-backed Gull in danger of disappearing?

Puffins are already on the Red List. Rising global temperatures have caused sand eels to move north to lower sea temperatures. So puffins have to fly further north off the coasts of the UK to find sand eels, and so more fail to reach land again in time to feed their young.

On the positive side, the Department for Agriculture and Fisheries published its decision to permanently close all sand eel fisheries in English waters in the North Sea from 26 March 2024, before the start of the next fishing season that started on. 6 Jun 2024.

The Scottish Government under its devolved legislative powers brought in The Sandeel (Prohibition Of Fishing) (Scotland) Order 2024, which mirrors the legislation relating to English waters.

This takes the pressure off the sand eel

But the root of the problem, rising sea temperatures is beyond the wit or will of man to attempt to affect in any dramatic way.

Britain is a world leader in coming off fossil fuels, but it is a pipsqueak in the global picture. China and the US can influence excess global warming the most and they are making huge efforts to come off fossil fuels. China reached peak coal use in 2023.

By the way, did you notice that the Scots spell sand eels as one word?

Tamara and I photographed puffins in the Forth estuary on the Isle of May on a couple of trips some years ago..

This is a puffin with a mouth full of sand eels. I forget what the record is for the greatest number of sand eels recorded in a puffin’s mouth, but a quick google says it’s 83.

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Comments

10 responses to “No One Wants To Be On The Red List”

  1. Tamara

    Thanks for sharing this, and the news about the Red List. Yes, I too thought how horrible that even the ‘common,’ supposedly ever present Black-Backed Gull is now on the Red List. Terrific that the sand eel fisheries were closed before the start of the fishing season. Lovely to see the photos of the puffins. Interesting that we learned that it’s only the male puffins during the mating season who have those colourful plates, super cuties that they are!

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    1. David Bennett

      There is so much wrong with the state of nature. As you know it has saddened me for years. And despite the scientific evidence the destruction goes on.

      Liked by 1 person

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  2. Deb Weyrich-Cody

    So, is it truth or supposition that Sandeels have moved to colder waters or are they being killed off by the same chemical toxins which are affecting the insects which they feed upon – where they feed? Being so very wee, is it safe to assume that sandeels depend upon the nutrient-rich, shallow water, marshy habitat at the mouths of rivers? These toxic agricultural chemicals to which I refer are particularly water soluble in the runoff from fields…

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    1. David Bennett

      That’s an interesting point. Linear farming – buying in NPK and letting it run off the land – is only sustainable because farmers don’t have to pay for cleaning the rivers and water supply. It has been going on for years, so I don’t think that is why sand eels have moved north or they would have done so years ago.

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      1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

        While adding ‘hard’ NPK (ground minerals) has indeed added difficulties like algal blooms, etc; I’m referring to the Toxic Chemicals (i.e. Poisons/ aka Pesticides) which allow for ‘treated seed’ of many different types used in the AgriBusiness Model of the past few decades…
        To paraphrase The Fixx: “One thing, (one thing) leads to another…”

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        1. David Bennett

          Yes, a whole new world of devastation.

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          Reply
          1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

            Why does no one seem to consider the possibility of interactions for EVERY SINGLE THING they do?
            The infinity of Combinations and Permutations come to mind…
            Sheer stupidity? Ignorance? GREED

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            Reply
            1. David Bennett

              Some people fear the sensation of dependence to the point of wilfully closing their eyes because they are addicted to success on their own terms.

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              Reply
  3. Deb Weyrich-Cody

    Sorry David, how does ‘dependence’ enter into simply taking responsibility for one’s actions? Nothing in this world happens without the resultant interaction (i.e. as a child being taught to pick up after ourselves when we’re done (clean up the mess we create) ~>leads us to use only what we need (not make a mess in the first place, so nothing to clean up!)
    Action & REaction…

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    Reply
    1. David Bennett

      What I meant by dependence is that some people like to stride the world as though they own the place. And they don’t like to be told that their existence is dependent upon things outside of them and outside their control. We know this is true – we are living in the middle of it.

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