Please Help Our Welsh Seabirds

Guillemot colony

The recent storms have not only devastated the lives of many people but now it seems our seabirds as well.  Over 25,000 auks have been found dead on the Atlantic coast of France alone and those bearing rings suggest most are from British colonies.  french fishermen describe the sea as being filled with rafts of dead birds.  Puffins seem to be the most numerous with Guillemots and Razorbills next in line.  This natural disaster could have a serious effect of the breeding populations of our Welsh islands particularly on Skomer where there have been large and thriving colonies.

Puffin - perhaps the worst affected species

The big problem is Natural Resources Wales have decided to cut the money normally available for monitoring these and other colonies.  A really daft decision for a body responsible for our wildlife and given the exceptional circumstances.  The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales now have to find £10,000 each year to continue this vital work.  It will be essential to keep this monitoring going over at least the next five years to see how the colonies have been affected and whether they begin to recover.

Razorbill - another species suffering from the storms

Please consider making a contribution to The Appeal to raise enough money for this to happen by clicking on the following link http://www.welshwildlife.org/sos/