The Northern Fulmar is an emblem of the wild northern ocean. Masters of the wind, they can soar for hours without flapping. They spend most of their lives at sea and are often mistaken for gulls due to their similarly sized white bodies and light grey wings. They can be told apart by their stiff wings, thick neck and dark, smoky eyes. Fulmars are close cousins of the albatrosses, with whom they share a distinctive characteristic: tube-like nostrils. Fulmars mainly feed on fish, squid and small crustaceans at the water’s surface and may follow fishing vessels for scraps.
Scotland holds almost half of the UK Fulmar population and has been their home for centuries. During Spring and Summer, they gather on islands and coastal cliffs to nest–but don’t get too close! Chicks and adults can spit putrid stomach oil at intruders – an effective and stinky deterrent difficult to remove from fur or feathers.
Fulmars might continue to breed at over 50 years old. These long lives make the loss of birds a big issue for the future population. Since the late 1980s, Scotland’s Fulmar population has plummeted by 43%. Fulmar is on the Scottish Biodiversity List, which identifies species that are of the most importance to biodiversity in Scotland. It is also on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber List.
Photos: Andy Hay for rspb-images.com
Illustration: Mike Langman for rspb-images.com
Action Needed
- Tackle bycatch in commercial fisheries, particularly from the longline fleet.
- Fully document fishing activities through the roll-out of REM across all fleets in Scottish waters, prioritising the longline fleet.
- Ensure important areas for Fulmar are effectively managed in protected areas by consulting on fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs, ensuring that all marine stakeholders are fully involved, and implementing the results of the consultation.
- Continue funding and political support to deliver the Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan, especially for the monitoring and conservation actions for seabird biosecurity.
Threats
- Fulmar are particularly vulnerable to being unintentionally caught and killed in fishing gear in commercial fisheries, especially longline fisheries. Evidence suggests that longline fisheries in northern Scotland could be accidentally catching thousands of birds every year as ‘bycatch’.
- Marine litter pollution – Fulmars eat litter floating in the sea and this is likely to make them ill over time. Almost all of the Fulmars analysed from the North Sea in the 2017 OSPAR assessment had eaten plastic.
- Changes in the distribution of prey species as a result of climate change
- Further research is needed, but a steep decline in Fulmar populations in the west of Scotland overlaps with areas where invasive non-native American Mink are found, suggesting that predation by Mink may be an issue.
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