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When enough is not enough: shorebirds and shellfishing.

J D Goss-Custard1, R A Stillman, A D West

  • 1Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Winfrith Technology Centre, Dorchester, UK. j.d.goss-custard@exeter.ac.uk

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 3, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Migratory birds in coastal Europe face threats from shellfish harvesting. Even ensuring 100% food availability may not prevent harm, as up to eight times more food may be needed for bird survival.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Wildlife Management

Background:

  • Coastal ecosystems in northwest Europe support long-lived migratory birds that feed on commercially harvested shellfish.
  • Competition between avian consumers and human shellfish fisheries creates conflicts between commercial and conservation objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the adequacy of current shellfish harvesting policies designed to protect migratory bird populations.
  • To determine the actual food resource requirements for migratory bird survival and condition under shellfishery pressures.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized behavior-based models to simulate ecological interactions in five distinct coastal areas.
  • Quantified the energy demands of migratory birds and assessed the impact of varying shellfish availability post-harvest.

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Main Results:

  • Simulations revealed that reserving shellfish to meet 100% of birds' estimated energy demands is insufficient for their well-being.
  • In some scenarios, up to eight times the birds' estimated energy demands are necessary to prevent negative impacts from shellfishery activities.
  • These findings hold true even when considering the availability of alternative, non-harvested prey sources.

Conclusions:

  • Current policies ensuring 100% food availability for birds are inadequate to prevent harm from shellfisheries.
  • Substantially higher levels of shellfish resources are required to ensure the health and survival of migratory bird populations.
  • Effective conservation strategies must account for the complex interplay between harvesting, bird ecology, and resource availability.