34 dead birds on barely two kilometers of shoreline. Alf Tore Mjøs picked up everyone he could find along Borestranda in Rogaland. The seabird gannet is red-listed and critically endangered. It can be over 30 years old, but thousands have not made it through the winter. One of the many dead lomvies on Borestranda on Jæren. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news The dead birds on Borestranda are part of a larger mass death. – This is something we should definitely take seriously Mjøs is an ornithologist and conservator at Stavanger Museum. – It is natural that some birds die during the winter, but it is unusual in these quantities. It is also unusual that so many adult birds have died. He finds the situation terrifying. – This is something we should definitely take seriously, says Mjøs. Dead loon found at Obrestad on Jæren. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news 15 out of 23 seabird species are red-listed in Norway, according to the Artsdata Bank. Of these, 13 species are categorized as critically endangered, highly endangered or vulnerable. The Lomvien is among those that are critically endangered. Adult birds Mjøs puts dead birds in a black garbage bag. They must be sent to the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (Nina) for analysis and research. Alf Tore Mjøs believes the findings on Jærstranden are disturbing. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllinstad / news Mass death among birds occurs at irregular intervals. According to Mjøs, there is reason to believe that there are thousands of dead marmots this winter alone. In 2021, thousands of puffins were found along the coast of Europe. What makes both Mjøs and other researchers extra worried now is the amount and age of the dead birds. – There are several adult birds that have not managed. These are the birds that were supposed to breed and bring the population forward, says Mjøs. Weather changes and food shortages Mjøs believes a lack of food, in combination with bad weather, is the cause of the mass death. He is supported by the researchers at Nina. – The mass death has been going on for a while. It has been evident in, among other things, the Lista area throughout the last month, says Tycho Anker-Nilssen, senior researcher at Nina. Tycho Anker-Nilssen, senior researcher at NINA. Photo: Per Anders Todal / Dag og Tid – Most likely there are many more affected than those we have found so far, he says. He explains that the weather and ocean currents control how many birds actually come ashore. It is therefore difficult to determine how many may have died out at sea. – In recent years, there have been such mass death incidents almost every year. We have not seen that before, and that in itself is disturbing. The beautiful jær beach with a twist. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news Anker-Nilssen points out that there is not much we can do about weather changes and the food supply for the birds. What we can do, however, is stop harvesting from their dinner plate. – The fact that we regulate fishing based on several factors can be a good idea. Great Britain has banned sandpiper fishing The sandpiper fish is an important source of food for seabirds. The British authorities have chosen to ban the fishing of sandeels in the North Sea. The reason must be seabirds and other fish species in the ecosystem. In January, the British authorities adopted a total ban on sandeel fishing in the British sector of the North Sea (external link) from March. Espen Johnsen, head of research at the Institute of Marine Research. Photo: Privat But according to Espen Johnsen, head of research at the Institute of Marine Research, bivalve fishing does not have an impact on the death of puffins. – When you see such incidents, it is important to find the causal link. Based on the amount of tobis we know of, we see no connection. What’s more, sandpipers are not available prey for loons at this time of year, he says. In Norway there is sandpiper fishing. Here there is a quota of 60,000 tonnes. In 2023, fishing for sandeel in the Norwegian zone was allowed between 15 April and 23 June. – It is unlikely that there is any connection between sandpiper fishing in the North Sea and the death of seabirds along the Norwegian coast now, states Johnsen. The ornithologist: – Send in dead birds – I’ve never seen anything like this before, and it’s just a loon. It is sad, says passer-by Oddrun Rostøl Eikeland. Oddrun Rostøl Eikeland was among the unlucky ones who caught sight of the dozens of dead birds. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news Mjøs encourages people who find dead birds to report the findings to the Artsdatabanken. – There you can report the number of birds and attach pictures. In this way, the researchers at Nina can get a better overview of the situation, says Mjøs.
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Several thousand dead porpoises along the coast – think several have starved to death – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
