Morus bassanus -- (Linnaeus, 1758)ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- SULIFORMES -- SULIDAECommon names: Northern Gannet; Fou de Bassan; Gannet

European Red List AssessmentEuropean Red List Status

LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1)

Assessment InformationYear published: 2015Date assessed: 2015-03-31Assessor(s): BirdLife InternationalReviewer(s): Symes, A.Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Tarzia, M., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L.Assessment RationaleEuropean regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales the range size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27.

OccurrenceCountries/Territories of OccurrenceNative:Belgium; Denmark; Faroe Islands (to DK); Greenland (to DK); France; Germany; Greece; Iceland; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Netherlands; Norway; Portugal; Russian Federation; Spain; Canary Is. (to ES); Sweden; Turkey; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK)Vagrant:Austria; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Estonia; Finland; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Svalbard and Jan Mayen (to NO); Poland

PopulationThe European population is estimated at 683,000 pairs, which equates to 1,370,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 641,000 pairs, which equates to 1,280,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

TrendIn Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be increasing. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

Habitats and EcologyThe species nests in large colonies on cliffs and offshore islands, but also on the mainland. This strictly marine species wanders mostly over continental shelves, feeding on shoaling pelagic fish such as herring (Clupea harengus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and sandeels (Ammodytes). Prey is mostly caught by plunge-diving from large heights. It also attends trawlers and will form large congregations where food is plentiful. Breeding is highly seasonal starting between March and April. Young birds will migrate to the extreme south of its range, whereas adults range less extensively but still regularly winter in the Mediterranean (Carboneras et al. 2014).

Habitats & AltitudeHabitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence

Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands major breedingMarine Neritic - Macroalgal/Kelp suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Macroalgal/Kelp suitable non-breedingMarine Neritic - Pelagic major breedingMarine Neritic - Pelagic major non-breedingMarine Neritic - Seagrass (Submerged) suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Seagrass (Submerged) suitable non-breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel suitable non-breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs suitable non-breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy suitable non-breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy-Mud suitable breedingMarine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy-Mud suitable non-breedingMarine Oceanic - Epipelagic (m) major breedingMarine Oceanic - Epipelagic (m) major non-breedingAltitude max. 200 m Occasional altitudinal limits

ThreatsOverfishing and prey depletion is likely to affect this species, although populations in the U.K. and Ireland were not seriously affected by Shetland sandeel stock crash in the mid 1980s (Carboneras et al. 2014). Incidental capture in fishing gear, including in longlines and purse seines also poses a threat; and the species was the most commonly caught along the Portuguese mainland coast (Oliveira et al. 2015). The species is hunted for food in some places, for example, a small annual harvest is carried out on Sula Sgeir, off north-west Scotland. The small population of northern Norway has suffered local declines and extinctions thought to be mainly due to harassment by White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla). The species is considered at high risk from collisions with offshore wind turbines (Bradbury et al. 2014).Threats & Impacts

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and StressesBiological resource use

Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources (unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest])

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Unknown Unknown Unknown

StressesIndirect ecosystem effects; Species mortality

Biological resource use

Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals (intentional use - species is the target)

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Unknown Causing/Could

cause fluctuationsUnknown

StressesSpecies mortality

Energy production & mining

Renewable energy Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Majority (50-90%) Causing/Could

cause fluctuationsMedium Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

Pollution Garbage & solid waste

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Whole (>90%) Unknown Unknown

StressesSpecies mortality

Pollution Industrial & military effluents (type unknown/unrecorded)

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Majority (50-90%) Unknown Unknown

Stresses

Threats & ImpactsThreat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses

Pollution Oil spills Timing Scope Severity ImpactPast, Likely to Return

Majority (50-90%) Causing/Could cause fluctuations

Past Impact

StressesSpecies mortality

Transportation & service corridors

Shipping lanes Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Majority (50-90%) Unknown Unknown

StressesSpecies disturbance

ConservationConservation Actions UnderwayThe species is listed on the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreements. It is covered by the EU Birds Directive as a regularly occurring migratory species. It is currently listed within 34 marine Important Bird Areas. Within the EU it is currently listed within nine Special Protection Areas.

Conservation Actions ProposedIdentification and protection of important sites at sea. Collection of more information on individual movements to assist careful placement of offshore wind farms. On-board monitoring programmes on fishing vessels to determine the number of birds caught across the region, and implementation of bycatch mitigation measures where appropriate.

BibliographyBradbury, G., Trinder, M., Furness, B., Banks, A.N., Caldow, R.W.G. and Hume, D. 2014. Mapping seabird sensitivity to offshore wind farms. PLoS ONE 9, e106366.Carboneras, C., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F. and Garcia, E.F.J. 2013. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2013. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.Oliveira, N. Henriques, A., Miodonski, J., Pereira, J., Marujo, D., Almeida, A., Barros, N., Andrade, J., Marçalo, J., Santos, I., Oliveira, B., Ferreira, M., Araújo, H., Monteiro, S., Vingada, J. and Ramírez, I. 2015. Seabird Bycatch in Portuguese Mainland Coastal Fisheries: An Assessment through on-Board Observations and Fishermen Interviews. Global Ecology and Conservation 3 (January): 51–61. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2014.11.006.

Map (see overleaf)