Abstract
(The majority of the report is in Norwegian. However, there is an abstract in English.)
This impact assessment is prepared as a basic background document about seabirds for the on-going process of developing an integrated environmental management plan for the Norwegian part of the North Sea and Skagerrak. It aims at giving a scientifically sound and up-to-date assessment of to what extent the various impact factors defined in this process affect seabirds. In most cases, both the current situation and future scenarios are considered, and the most important gaps in knowledge that should be filled in order to identify more adequate management objectives are discussed.
In each chapter, the assessments are presented and discussed in a detail that fits the purpose and existing level of knowledge, and in most cases summarized for the impact factor and sector in question. The report spans a wide variety of interactions, many of which are very complex, and the premises for the different judgements that have been made cannot easily be communicated in short. Nor is a direct comparison of impacts brought about by different factors fully justifiable, as the methodological approach and level of knowledge might differ considerably. We have therefore deliberately omitted the final conclusions in this overall summary.
It is also important to remember that the selected indicator species in some cases do not reflect the full range of potential consequences. The problem of plastic particle accumulation in seabird stomachs, which in this area seems to be a special problem for northern fulmars, is a good example of this. Such exceptions are, however, commented whenever needed to clarify the underlying conditions for our conclusions. We also remark that the impact assessments are made for each factor independently, even if seabirds most often will be subjected to several factors at the same time. Under certain conditions, this may lead to an amplification of effects that is more severe than the sum of those caused by each factor alone. Such synergistic effects are not dealt with in this report, but a general discussion of the most likely responses is given in the corresponding document for the Norwegian Sea (NINA Report 338).
Norwegian Title: Tverrsektoriell vurdering av konsekvenser for sjøfugl: Grunnlagsrapport til en helhetlig forvaltningsplan for Nordsjøen og Skagerrak