North Sea Appeal

On Monday 10 March, a major collision between a tanker and a cargo ship, only 13 miles off the east coast of England, had us deeply concerned. This week, we started to see plastic nurdles, pellets the size of lentils, washing up along miles and miles of the Norfolk coast, including on our nature reserve at RSPB Titchwell Marsh. Many were loose but some were clumped together, charred and smelling of fuel. 

This whole area is internationally important for birds and wildlife.

Right now, the mudflats are providing pitstops for birds travelling on the East Atlantic Flyway, one of the world’s busiest migration routes. Saltmarshes will soon be home to Redshank chicks and beaches, like RSPB Snettisham, will become nesting grounds for threatened Ringed Plovers. Pufflings will take their first flight from RSPB Bempton Cliffs in the summer, as Gannets dive for fish in the North Sea.

In 2024 four UK shorebirds moved to IUCN Red List  and  five seabird species were added to the UK Red List. The incident shines a spotlight on the already dire state of our globally significant populations of seabirds and shorebirds, and the need for us to work hand in hand with other partners on the ground.

It’s vital that we urgently build resilience in our marine and coastal bird populations to ensure that they have the best possible chance of survival, not just today but for future generations. 

By donating today, you could help to support our ongoing work to protect coastal and seabird populations. A one-off financial gift could help our essential habitat management on nature reserves along the east coast of England.

Donate now