A group of offshore renewable energy developers have collectively invested over £1m in a new fund that aims to safeguard the future of Scotland’s seabirds.
The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) has set up a Seabird Resilience Fund with a collective £1.6m investment from the Bellrock, Broadshore, CampionWind, MarramWind, Morven, Muir Mhor, Ossian, Thistle Wind Partners and Stromar offshore wind development companies.
The fund will finance practical projects to protect seabirds from the many threats they face, both at sea and on land.
Under pressure from a range of factors including climate change, invasive species and food availability, seabird numbers have fallen dramatically between 1986 and 2023.
But there are signs of a brighter future for seabirds, with short term trends showing increased populations of black-legged kittiwake, European shag and common guillemot.
With renewable energy helping Scotland work towards net zero targets, this fund will support more direct action to help recover healthy seabird populations.
Thriving populations of seabirds are not only important for Scotland but globally.
Twenty-four species have their regular breeding grounds here, approximately 60% of the world’s breeding population of great skua, 46% of the world’s northern gannet and 16% of the world’s Manx shearwater.
This fund has the chance to support recovery and resilience that can contribute to global conservation goals.
To kick start the work of this valuable programme, SMEEF will fund biosecurity survey work on vulnerable island habitats in the 2025 season.
The UK’s island seabird populations are under real threat from invasive species, both animal predators, such as rats, and introduced plants that can cause habitat loss.
Following development work over the summer SMEEF will announce a call for wider applications to the fund.
The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund is hosted by NatureScot.
Cathy Tilbrook, NatureScot Head of Sustainable Coasts and Seas said: “Funding on this scale comes at a crucial time.
“The challenge is significant but there are small signs of hope, with some populations stabilizing.
“We want to support that trend and deliver innovative projects to help seabirds to recover and thrive.”
Andrew Blyth, Development Director on behalf of Ossian Offshore Wind Farm, said: “We are delighted to contribute to this fund – our seas are a vital resource for us all.
“Scotland provides important breeding grounds for internationally significant populations of seabirds, an important indicator of marine health.
“We want to contribute to a healthy and resilient marine environment where nature can thrive alongside sustainable development such as clean energy.”