Written question asked by Laurence Robertson (Conservative) on Monday, 1 December 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 December 2003. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 December 2003 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work her Department is doing to establish the size and distribution of offshore bird populations; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work her Department is doing to establish the size and distribution of offshore bird populations; and if she will make a statement. [141943] Mr. Bradshaw: The Seabirds at Sea survey is a part Government funded national survey under the JNCC management. The survey does not cover all our seas on an annual basis, but areas of our seas have been selected each year since 1979. In the main our knowledge of the distribution of bird populations in the offshore environment comes from species surveys, many of which have been done in response to development pressures and some of which have been part funded by the country conservation agencies. In addition to this work some information is gathered on both numbers and distribution around our coasts from the BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey, which is the part-government funded national scheme for counting waterbirds in the UK. This scheme relies on observers on land and therefore does not provide full coverage of birds that use the open sea. The JNCC and WWT are, within their partnership, currently developing a strategy for monitoring sea ducks, divers and grebes, and JNCC will present this to government as formal advice in 2004.

Secondary information