12 March 2012
IUCN Urges Measures to Reverse the Loss of Seabirds
story highlights

A new assessment by BirdLife International, a partner of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, shows that seabirds are now more threatened than any other group of birds.

According to IUCN, human activities, ranging from commercial fisheries to the introduction of invasive species, are primarily responsible for the decline of seabird populations.

9 March 2012: A new assessment by BirdLife International, a partner of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, finds that the status of the world’s seabirds is declining.

According to the assessment, seabirds are now more threatened than any other group of birds. Of the 346 seabird species, 97 (28%) are globally threatened, and 10% are listed as Near Threatened. Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director, IUCN Global Species Programme, urged countries to enact changes that will reverse the loss of seabirds.

According to IUCN, human activities, ranging from commercial fisheries to the introduction of invasive species, are primarily responsible for the decline of seabird populations. The assessment underscores that protecting the sites where seabirds congregate can be a positive step for their conservation. BirdLife has identified many Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for seabirds on land and expects to publish the first inventory of marine IBAs in the high seas. The goal is to use these areas to develop a global network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). [IUCN Press Release]

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