Puffins are now one of the species at risk of extinction in the UK, for the annual revision of the International Union for Conservation and nature (IUCN).
Puffins are now one of the species at risk of extinction in the UK for the annual revision of the International Union for Conservation and nature (IUCN).
In the Welsh region of Pembrokeshire and the islands of Skokholm and Skomer, in particular, are renowned for their Puffin populations. Researchers believe that there is more than one reason behind this, these birds have more problems finding fish, because of the prolonged winds that flow from the Atlantic Ocean to the Welsh coasts. Moreover, the increasing of pollution such as oil spills and sand eel are contributing to this decrease.
Four of the Uk’s species of birds are in the list, and their are still millions of Puffins around the world, but the decline of the past years is a signal of their vulnerability.
Martin Harper, as reported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: ”The number of species facing extensions has always been highest in the tropics, particularly in the small Islands. But now the crisis is beginning exact an increasingly heavy toll on temperate regions too, such as Europe. The erosion of the UK’s Wildlife is staggering and this is reinforced when you talk about puffin and turtle dove, now facing the same level of extinction threat as African Elephant and lion, and being more endangered than the humpback whale.”