European Seabird Resource Hub - Spain

SEO/BirdLife Spain - marine programme

28% of the 346 species of marine birds on the planet are threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and 10% of the species are listed as "Near Threatened" (NT). Spain is not an exception, and several of these threatened or near-threatened species breed or occur regularly there. They are just the tip of the iceberg, signaling the conservation problems of the marine environment.

SEO/BirdLife is active in the conservation of seabirds and the marine environment. Its work is partly supported by several projects at local, national and EU level. 

Some results of the marine work conducted by SEO/BirdLife can be accessed here.

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SEO/BirdLife's Marine Projects

Marine site identification and protection

Threatened marine species

Under the framework of LIFE project INDEMARES, SEO/BirdLife has finalised the first full network of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean. As a result of this project, these essential areas for biodiversity can now be protected by Spanish law.

Over 40 marine species of birds can be regularly observed in Spain and nearly half of those are endangered. This is the case of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater, for which an action plan to save it from extinction has been devised, in a joint effort from SEO/BirdLife and BirdLife Portugal partner SPEA.

Promoting sustainable fishing and tackling bycatch

Seabird monitoring

SEO/BirdLife has been working with fishermen to assess the incidence of bycatch in Spanish waters, by providing vessels with onboard observers. SEO/BirdLife also organises workshops for fishermen and disseminatesleaflets to increase public awareness among stakeholders.

Collecting evidence of changes in seabird populations is an essential part of BirdLife's work as it enables to prioritise conservation efforts. SEO/BirdLife leads a variety of seabird monitoring programmes in Spain, each using techniques adapted to the behaviour of the seabird we want to study.