Save Seabirds From Mass Die-Off Events

Target: Jessika Roswall, Commissioner of European Commission’s Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Division

Goal: Strengthen and enforce protections for seabirds experiencing drastic population drops.

Bird flu is not the only danger afflicting the world’s avian life. A concerning drop in seabird populations has been documented in regions around the world. In Norway, almost 90 percent of one species alone has vanished. And Australia has recently experienced a noted uptick in so-called “seabird wrecks”: events which lead to thousands of dead birds washing ashore. In the latest series of incidents, many of the birds were emaciated.

Lack of food largely caused by overfishing is just one of the factors believed to have fueled the global 70 percent drop in seabird populations over the past six or seven decades. Man-made activities such as oil drilling and shipping, habitat destruction, and the ongoing effects of climate change have also played a significant role. The European Union (EU) developed an action plan to address at least one factor causing harm to seabirds: “bycatch,” in which seabirds and other animals are unintentionally caught by fishers. Yet little progress has been made in even implementing this plan.

Sign the petition below to demand the EU follow through on its protections and add more mitigation measures to its seabird action plan.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Commissioner Roswall,

The EU Seabird Action Plan had good aspirations. The lack of follow-up and the vagueness of the plan’s language have led to a decided lack of meaningful results, however. As a consequence, the alarming 70 percent plunge in global seabird populations is accelerating, creating drastic conditions like “seabird wrecks” and endangerment for many species.

Please take another look at this action plan envisioned by your predecessors. Strengthen the language and expand actions to address other existential threats to seabird populations like climate change, overfishing, and habitat loss.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: JJ Harrison