RSPB hopes fishing ban will boost Bempton numbers

A ban on sandeel fishing could boost kittiwake and puffin numbers on the East Yorkshire coast, conservationists have said.

A ban on trawlers from the UK, EU and other nations from fishing for the small fish in the North Sea has come into force.

Officials at RSPB Bempton Cliffs said sandeels are a vital source of food for the half-a-million seabirds living on the cliffs at the nature reserve.

Visitor experience officer Poppy Rummery says it is hoped an increase in population numbers will be seen in the next couple of years.

Ms Rummery said: "It (the ban) has been a long time coming and we've noticed, as we see the impact of climate change, that sandeels are moving further north to colder water. That, and the overfishing, is having an impact on bird numbers.

"Hopefully, they'll now have more food when they are out their fishing for their chicks and themselves, which should increase population numbers.

An effective ban on sandeel fishing has been in place since 2021, but the Government announced plans to extend the restrictions earlier this year.

The new regulations include foreign vessels and place more stringent restrictions on bottom trawling in the North Sea.

Ms Rummery added: "The number of chicks the kittiwakes have been rearing has gone up but it's still not where it needs to be. We had the best breeding success rate last year but the population is still going down.

"Normally, they'll lay two or three eggs but we're seeing only one survive. It will take a couple of years to see changes."

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