CBird: Seabird Expert Group

The Circumpolar Seabird Expert Group (CBird) promotes, facilitates, and coordinates seabird conservation, management, research and monitoring among circumpolar countries, and improves communication between seabird scientists, Indigenous Knowledge (IK) holders, managers, and the public inside and outside the Arctic.

Populations of seabirds in the circumpolar region are large and diverse. Due to their migration across large areas of terrestrial, marine and coastal environments they serve as excellent indicators of overall ecosystem health.

Arctic countries often share the same seabird populations. Sixteen species of seabirds have circumpolar distributions while several other species are shared between two or more countries. Consequently, there is a joint and equal responsibility for the conservation of seabirds in and outside the Arctic. Arctic countries also share common stressors and threats to seabirds.

Traditionally, conservation, management, and research activities for seabirds in the Arctic have been poorly coordinated. Existing seabird groups are typically organized in a north-south manner and not in an east-west manner, resulting in a poorly coordinated circumpolar context.

CBird was a recognition that seabird conservation, management, and research activities could most effectively be achieved and harmonized by a multilateral approach of all Arctic countries. It was in this simple context that CBird was approved in 1993 within the organizational structure of CAFF.

Objectives

• To identify current and emerging seabird conservation, management, research, monitoring, and public outreach problems and opportunities in the Arctic and corresponding information and coordination needs
• To facilitate exchanging and publishing seabird information of mutual interest to scientists and managers in the circumpolar countries
• To facilitate harmonizing objectives, field methods and data analyses for similar studies of seabirds in the Arctic
• To facilitate development and coordination of cooperative research and management projects and conservation plans for circumpolar seabirds of mutual concern in the Arctic
• To promote and facilitate coordinating conservation initiatives for those Arctic seabirds that primarily winter outside the Arctic
• To coordinate CBird initiatives with activities of other seabird groups as appropriate
• To develop an integrated package of cooperative seabird activities or initiatives for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna annual work plan
• Coordinate the CAFF Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Network project.

CBird Work Plan

CBird activities are organized according to an annual work plan approved by the CAFF Board.

Seabird Assessments

CBird has developed assessments on key knowledge needs to facilitate circumpolar implementation of initiatives to conserve and protect species of circumpolar importance.