§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number and species of birds found dead recently on the east coast of Scotland; and what information he has on the cause of those deaths.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe precise number of dead sea birds found recently on the east coast is not known but total fatalities have been estimated to be in the region of 50,000.
Losses have been noted from a number of species but mostly from razorbill, shag, little auk and, in particular, guillemot.
A number of birds have been sent for veterinary analysis but the results are not yet available. All birds examined have been emaciated to some degree and starvation would seem to be the likely cause of death.
There is a natural cycle of sea bird mortality in winter and this is likely to have been aggravated by recent severe weather. In addition, on-shore winds are likely to have increased the proportion of dead birds which are washed on to eastern beaches.