‘Protect areas seabirds need for food’ - RSPB

The Government plans to extend a special protection area for wildlife at Bempton Cliffs to include the coastline from Filey Brigg to Cunstone Nab, and 2km out to sea along the length of the boundary.

But the charity says more needs to be done to protect the birds’ feeding areas, sometimes miles out at sea, as numbers of some species like kittiwakes, the Government’s official indicator of the health of the North Sea, are in steep decline, with numbers halving in 15 years at Bempton and Flamborough.

Ms Jennings, from the RSPB, said there were “no brainers” that the Government could adopt to help arrest the decline, including protecting the areas the birds need to feed their young. She said: “From 1986 to 2011 there has been a 55 per cent decline in kittiwake numbers in the UK which is a massive problem and what we are worried about is that the Government doesn’t have a coherent plan in place to get to the bottom of what’s actually causing that and what we can do to make sure we don’t lose the rest of them.

“We are starting to track birds as they leave the breeding population and we find that often they travel quite a long way away, but repeatedly go to the same areas.”

She added: “A special protection area doesn’t prevent development but it does make sure that the decision-makers have to take full account of the nature conservation interest of the site and they can only promote damaging development under very particular circumstances.”

A consultation on the proposals will close on April 14.