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<p>The UK’s seabirds, including puffins, are an important part of our natural heritage,
and their protection is a high priority for this government.</p><p> </p><p>We are
working with Natural England to develop a comprehensive and ambitious English Seabird
Conservation Strategy which we are aiming to publish in summer 2022. This strategy
will aim to assess the vulnerability of each seabird species in light of the pressures
they are facing and propose actions to address them.</p><p> </p><p>Forage fish such
as sandeels play a crucial role in the health of the wider North Sea marine ecosystem.
Seabirds and other sensitive marine species rely on sandeels as a food source. Sandeel
stocks are highly sensitive to changing environmental conditions and this is affecting
the resilience of the seabird populations. Defra and the UK Fisheries Administrations
recently concluded a call for evidence on Sandeels and Norway pout to help inform
future decision making to ensure these stocks are managed sustainably in the future.
The responses are currently being analysed to feed into next steps.</p><p> </p><p>We
are also developing a UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative which we will be publishing
early next year. This document will outline actions to tackle the bycatch of sensitive
marine species, including seabirds, in UK waters.</p>
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