A compelling article has been co-authored by BirdLife Europe and its partners and sheds light on the alarming levels of seabird bycatch across European waters, underscoring the urgency of implementing conservation and management measures to address this global threat to seabird populations. This critical work also used information collected during the MedBycatch project (2017-2022) that was developed under the Together for the Med initiative, which aimed to mitigate bycatch of vulnerable species in 5 countries of the Mediterranean region (Croatia, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye).
Bycatch: a leading threat to European seabird
Seabird bycatch, the incidental capture of seabirds in fishing gear, is among the most pressing threats to these marine predators, and the one with the greatest average impact. A comprehensive review co-led byBirdLife marks the first pan-European assessment of seabird bycatch, covering diverse fishing gears and employing multiple data sources. Their findings estimate that approximately 195,000 seabirds are killed annually due to bycatch in the region, with the true number likely higher due to significant data gaps.
Gillnets are identified as the leading culprits, responsible for over 95,000 seabird deaths per year, followed by longline fisheries, with an estimate of around 80,000 birds caught/year. The most affected species include the Common Guillemot (Uria aalge), with over 31,000 individuals caught annually, and the Vulnerable (VU) Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), with almost 23,000 birds captured/year. Critically Endangered (CR) Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), whose population viability is severely compromised by bycatch, is also seriously affected by bycatch. Alarmingly, several species of some seabird families, such as Anatidae and Alcidae, face heightened risks due to these fishing practices.
Regional and data challenges
The report identifies the Northeast Atlantic as the region with the highest seabird bycatch levels, with over 115,000 birds caught annually. Other regions, also report significant bycatch levels (the Baltic Sea over 68,000 seabirds/ year and the Mediterranean Sea almost 8,000 seabirds/year), although the lack of systematic data collection in several areas, including the Black Sea and parts of the Mediterranean, limits accurate assessments. Notably, no reliable bycatch estimates were available for 12 European coastal states, located mainly in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Albania, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine), highlighting a critical gap in knowledge and monitoring.
The lack of standardized and systematic data collection further complicates efforts to address bycatch. Many estimates rely on opportunistic observations or fishers’ self-reports, which may significantly understate the scale of the issue. Furthermore, some fisheries, such as gillnets, lack proven mitigation measures, exacerbating the challenge of tackling and reducing this threat.
Recommendations for action
To tackle this pressing issue, the article emphasizes the need for urgent action, including:
- Improved data collection: Establishing mandatory and systematic data collection programs, such as onboard observer schemes and remote electronic monitoring (REM), to provide accurate and comparable bycatch estimates.
- Mitigation measures: Developing and implementing effective mitigation technologies, particularly for gillnet fisheries, to reduce bycatch mortality.
- Policy enforcement: Strengthening legal frameworks and ensuring compliance with international conservation commitments, such as the EU’s Action Plan for reducing seabird bycatch and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
- Increased funding: Allocating resources for research, monitoring, and mitigation measures to support long-term conservation goals.
Building on MedBycatch’s legacy
These findings build on the achievements of the MedBycatch project, which focused on reducing bycatch of seabirds, sea turtles, and other vulnerable species in the Mediterranean. MedBycatch demonstrated the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including fishers, researchers, and policymakers, to address the complex challenge of bycatch. The lessons learned from this project provide a valuable foundation for expanding conservation efforts across Europe.
As the scale of seabird bycatch comes into sharper focus, it is clear that coordinated and decisive action among all key stakeholders is necessary to protect these vital marine indicators and maintain the health of European marine ecosystems: seabird bycatch is a solvable problem provided the political willingness exists to do so.
