Ocean
We protect marine birds and their habitat
No matter where we live, the ocean is vital to all of us. It provides the oxygen we breathe, regulates our climate by storing carbon, feeds us and is home to 70% of all life on Earth.
But the ocean is not doing well; marine biodiversity is in dramatic decline in more than 80% of European seas.
As top predators, seabirds are sentinels of ocean health and great indicators of changes within our marine ecosystems.
At BirdLife, we address existing and emerging threats to seabirds and other marine species by ensuring that sufficient space is dedicated for the protection and the recovery of nature at sea. We do this while supporting the sustainable development of the Blue Economy sectors.
Our work
Protecting important marine areas
Together with our Partners, we identify seabird and marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) – globally important sites for marine biodiversity. Beyond simply designating these areas, we work to ensure their protection is effective and enforcement is strong.
The North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin (NACES) Marine Protected Area is a seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic and serves as a seasonal home for an astounding five million birds each year. Thanks to our advocacy, it is now protected from seafloor to sea surface. We will continue our efforts to make sure the protection measures are fully enforced.
A nature-positive energy transition at sea
The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy is necessary to fight the climate crisis. But this transition must happen hand in hand with nature protection and restoration.
BirdLife works with national Partners to develop sensitivity maps that guide the placement of offshore wind developments, identifying areas where they pose the least harm to marine life.
As a founding member of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature, we unite stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind energy and grid infrastructure that aligns with protecting marine biodiversity and ecosystems.
We are also members of the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI). In this collaboration of NGOs and TSOs we support a bird-friendly grid development which is needed to accelerate the energy transition.
Restoring balance by tackling unsustainable fishing practices
Together with our national Partners we work closely with small-scale fishers to create awareness and mitigation strategies to combat destructive fishing practices. The practices, alongside overfishing, are leading causes of marine biodiversity loss, making it even harder for marine wildlife to withstand the devasting effects of climate change.
That’s why BirdLife Europe is also a member of Together for the Med, a partnership of NGOs, international organisations, research centres, and private companies committed to reducing pressures on the Mediterranean biodiversity. Our efforts focus on improving the sustainability of fisheries and minimizing their impact on marine habitats and species.
OUR PUBLICATIONS
SELECTED ARTICLES
 | Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. |
