Seabird Conservation Status and Threats: a Global Assessment

S. H. M. BUTCHART, O. R. J. ANDERSON, S. CRANWELL, J. P. CROXALL, E. FRERE, B. LASCELLES, I. RAMIREZ, M. SATO, C. J. SMALL, A. J. STATTERSFIELD, A. SYMES, B. J. SULLIVAN, R. WANLESS, S. WAUGH

Victoria

Congreso; 1° World seabird conference. Seabirds: Linking the Global Oceans.; 2010

We review, at a global scale, the conservation status of seabirds and the threats they face, based on BirdLife International’s assessments for the 2010 IUCN Red List. We show that, overall, seabirds are more threatened than other groups of birds and that their status has been declining faster over recent decades. The principal current threats posed are from commercial fisheries and marine pollution at sea, and by alien invasive predators, agriculture and development-driven habitat loss, and human disturbance ashore. We examine these patterns for different seabird groups, marine habitats and geographical regions and review the priority conservation actions needed to address these threats, including in relation to the responsible regional and national authorities.