UK puffin population down 25% since 2000

UK populations of puffins have fallen by 25% since 2000 despite continued attempts to protect them, the RSPB said.

World Puffin Day, on 14 April, coincides with the time of year when puffins and other seabirds return to Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire, home to the UK’s largest mainland seabird colony.

Dave O’Hara, reserve manager at Bempton Cliffs, said the main issue was the availability of sandeels in the North Sea.

“Sandeels may be small, but they sit at the very heart of the North Sea food web. Without them, seabirds like Puffins and Kittiwakes simply cannot raise their chicks successfully,” he said.