WORKING GROUP on SEABIRD ECOLOGY. ICES CM 2001/C:05, Ref
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Oceanography Committee ICES CM 2001/C:05 Ref.: E,F and ACME REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON SEABIRD ECOLOGY ICES Headquarters 16–19 March 2001 This report is not to be quoted without prior consultation with the General Secretary. The document is a report of an expert group under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and does not necessarily represent the views of the Council. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer Palægade 2–4 DK–1261 Copenhagen K Denmark TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Participation ....................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Terms of Reference .........................................................................................................................................1 1.3 Justification of Terms of Reference.................................................................................................................1 1.4 Overview by the Chair.....................................................................................................................................2 1.5 Note on bird names..........................................................................................................................................2 1.6 Acknowledgements .........................................................................................................................................3 2 STATUS OF MARINE BIRDS IN THE NORTH SEA.............................................................................................3 2.1 Seabirds in the North Sea ................................................................................................................................3 2.2 Summary of trends in status of seabirds in the North Sea ...............................................................................3 2.3 Wildfowl Wintering in or Migrating Through the North Sea..........................................................................7 2.4 Summary of Trends for Wintering and Migratory Divers, Grebes and Wildfowl in the North Sea................7 2.5 Waders Wintering in the North Sea.................................................................................................................9 2.6 Summary of Trends of Numbers of Waders Wintering in the North Sea........................................................9 2.7 References and Sources Used in Tables........................................................................................................11 3 ECOLOGICAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SEABIRDS IN THE NORTH SEA............................................12 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................12 3.2 Contaminants.................................................................................................................................................14 3.3 Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................................29 3.4 Habitats and ecosystem health.......................................................................................................................31 3.5 Hunting/harvesting ........................................................................................................................................33 3.6 Disturbance....................................................................................................................................................33 3.7 Introduced/conflicting species.......................................................................................................................33 3.8 Climate change..............................................................................................................................................34 4 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SEABIRD MONITORING ...............................................................................34 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................34 4.2 Demands for the parameters and seabird species selected for monitoring ....................................................35 4.3 Seabirds as sensitive indicators for change in the marine environment: Monitoring characteristics of seabird life history besides population size................................................................................................................36 4.4 Seabird diets and provisioning as monitors of fish stocks and food availability...........................................41 4.5 Recommendations for further monitoring marine pollution using seabirds as accumulative indicators .......41 4.6 Further aspects of designing monitoring programmes with seabirds ............................................................42 4.7 References .....................................................................................................................................................43 5 REVIEW OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AQUACULTURE AND BIRDS IN THE ICES AREA..........47 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................47 5.2 Enhancing food supplies to wildlife ..............................................................................................................47 5.3 Attraction of birds to aquaculture and consequent impacts on fish farming profitability..............................49 5.4 Disturbance of birds by aquacultural activities .............................................................................................50 5.5 Persecution of birds by fish farmers..............................................................................................................50 5.6 Impacts on birds of the harvest of mussel spat..............................................................................................52 5.7 Impacts of industrial fishing on seabirds.......................................................................................................52 5.8 References .....................................................................................................................................................58 6 FURTHER REVIEW OF THE CONTENTS ON THE DATABASE ON SEABIRD DIET COMPOSITION.......61 7 WHAT QUESTIONS CAN WE TRY TO ANSWER DURING CONCURRENT MEETINGS WITH OTHER WORKING GROUPS? ............................................................................................................................................61 8 RECOMMENDATIONS..........................................................................................................................................62 8.1 Proposal for next meeting..............................................................................................................................62 8.2 Proposal for a Cooperative Research Report.................................................................................................63 8.3 Chair..............................................................................................................................................................64 8.4 Request to other groups for information........................................................................................................65 8.5 Proposal for a Mini-Symposium ...................................................................................................................65 ANNEX 1 – NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PARTICIPANTS ...................................................................................66 ANNEX 2 – SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES USED IN THIS REPORT ................................................................67 @# i 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Participation The nominated members of the Working Group who participated in the meeting are listed in Annex 1. 1.2 Terms of Reference At the 87th Statutory Meeting, it was agreed that the Working Group on Seabird Ecology [WGSE] should meet in ICES Headquarters from 16–19 March 2001 (4 days) (C.Res. 1999/2CSE). The terms of reference were to: a) respond to the following requests from OSPAR [OSPAR]: i) provide a synthesis of the status of North Sea populations of seabirds, including consideration of species that have declined or are threatened by human activities; ii) consider the use of seabirds as indicators for environmental quality and short-term and long-term ecosystem effects; iii) provide recommendations for appropriate EcoQO indices for seabirds based on i) and ii) and make suggestions for appropriate EcoQOs for North Sea seabird populations (with WGECO and SGEAM); iv) prepare provisional estimates for the current levels, reference levels and target levels for the EcoQO indices identified (with WGECO and SGEAM). b) examine the practicality and desirability of monitoring other aspects of seabird life history than those presently monitored; c) review interactions between mariculture and birds in the ICES area; d) continue to compile a first model of food consumption by