Enhanced measures for marine birds

It is evident from the QSR 2023 that many bird species, other than those listed by OSPAR, are also threatened and/or declining, suggesting that existing measures are insufficient. This task will identify the necessary actions to improve the status of both listed and currently non-listed bird species, including measures currently in place and those being developed under the RAP-Bird.

This task will determine the most efficient and coherent way of implementing measures (e.g. through Recommendations) that build upon, amend, or replace measures currently in place. There are several specific issues to be addressed in determining the best approach:

• • Determining if it is possible to adopt a Recommendation for all marine birds irrespective of listed status (ideally avoiding the need to list them all as that requires a huge resource for administrative reporting).
  • Review the existing measures in place in bird Recommendations to identify which measures should be retained or replaced.
  • Consider how the measures contained in Recommendation 2010/5 could be applied to all relevant bird species in the OSPAR Maritime Area.
  • Assessments of the extent to which EIA processes result in mitigation which reduces the impact on marine birds.
  • Consider arrangements for pooling / sharing assessment data between Contracting Parties.
  • Consider how cumulative effects and improving resilience to climate change could be addressed through future bird measures.
  • Identify if any other RAP-Bird actions require a measure in a Recommendation to implement them.
  • Produce a background document based on the above with a view to adopting a single bird Recommendation.