Social and economic drivers for activities affecting marine birds
All social and economic drivers have the potential to influence the quality status of marine birds. Marine birds provide a tangible and iconic focus for society’s need to appreciate nature and biodiversity and to support them by conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources. Threats to iconic species drive public pressure on political debate and action.
The list below presents the drivers of the main activities impacting on marine birds.
Society’s need for stable economies, energy, and materials has been one of the main drivers for the extraction of materials and oil and gas production. These activities have been linked to increases of impulsive noise and visual disturbance and releases of chemicals directly into marine bird habitats. The oil and gas industry is also one of the main contributors to climate change, and society’s responses to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change have resulted in:
- the expansion of renewable energy technologies to meet society’s need for energy, resulting in the introduction of associated infrastructure to the marine environment which can either directly or indirectly affect marine birds;
- increased need for coastal and flood protection infrastructures to mitigate threats to society; sea defences; levees and dikes, all with the potential to either directly or indirectly affect marine birds and their habitats.
Society’s needs for industrial processes and for the trade and movement of goods can introduce marine pollutants, including oil and litter, and lead to increases in underwater noise levels, which can affect marine birds. Shipments of goods by sea and navigational dredging in support of shipping can each contribute to the input or remobilisation of contaminants in the marine environment. Vessel movements disturb marine birds.
Growing global populations increase society’s need for food and fisheries, which aquaculture and agriculture will help to meet. These activities can influence contaminant and nutrient levels in the marine environment. Some fishing activities and farming practices can be detrimental to marine birds (and in a few cases help support them).
Services related to society’s need for health and wellbeing, such as the demands of an increasing human population for leisure, recreation and tourism in and around marine areas, bring many benefits (including greater contact with and understanding of marine birds and their habitats), but can also cause conflicts with marine birds.
Policy responses for managing human activities need to consider all these driving forces in order to meet society’s needs while reducing the risks to marine birds and facilitating societal change.
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