Recommendations

Ensure sustainable harvest.

2.1.1. Strict regulations of egg collecting; collaboration options with AMBI should be considered.

Limit human disturbance to a level that does not decrease breeding success.

2.3.1. Identify significant risks of disturbance activities and sensitive locations.

2.3.2. Develop guidelines (codes-of-conduct) for potentially harmful organized activities near colonies e.g. tourism, research (all fields), harvest, air- and ship traffic as well as individual activities such as kayaking, fishing etc.

2.3.3. Introduce area restrictions for high risk activities and promote regulations in adequate formats.

2.3.4. Improve and standardize methods for Environmental Impact Assessments.

2.3.5. Increase the knowledge on impacts of marine installations on seabirds (noise, light, pollution etc.).

2.3.6. Execute spatial planning and environmental assessments taking seabird management priorities into account.

2.3.7. Create no-conflict artificial nesting sites in locations where kittiwakes have moved into human settlements.

Reduce the negative impact of commercial fisheries on breeding success.

2.4.1. Ensure industrial fisheries of pelagic forage fish such as capelin, herring and sandeel are not at a level that limits kittiwakes’ food supply.

2.4.2. Increase research into the resource competition between seabird and fisheries and how this should influence quotas.

Reduce the threat of anthropogenic pollution.

2.6.1. Reduce marine litter and plastics by raising public awareness, and through facilitation of environment-friendly handling of garbage etc.

2.6.2. Reduce the risk of local oil spills close to breeding colonies by regulating nearby human activities.

Ensure that new offshore energy development does not come in conflict with foraging habitat use by kittiwakes.

3.2.1. Use tracking and population data to prevent construction of offshore structures close to breeding sites/foraging grounds/wintering sites

Protect and manage key habitats on landand at sea as a significant contribution to safeguard populations.

3.3.1. Prepare a summary of protected areas containing important kittiwake habitats.

3.3.2. Evaluate the potential of ongoing tools such as the Framework for a Pan-Arctic Network of Marine Protected Areas and other mechanisms to protect habitats important to kittiwakes.

3.3.3. Identify important kittiwake habitats on land and at sea still requiring protection and designate them under national and international systems of protected areas (e.g. Birdlife International’s Important Bird Areas or OSPAR).

3.3.4. Identify, evaluate and implement additional conservation mechanisms such as treaties, agreements, regulations, and policies of value. Consider also collaboration with AMBI.

Improvement of knowledge on limiting demographic factors.

4.2.1. Develop a comprehensive research agenda for each population specifying what information is most needed, how it will be used, and which countries will be involved. Relate this to the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan and evaluate if necessary.

4.2.2. For each major kittiwake breeding population, estimate population size, productivity, adult survival rates, and identify migration routes and wintering grounds. Also investigate survival rates and distribution of the immature birds.

4.2.3 Investigate the breeding success and population estimates for a larger proportion of the circumpolar population.

4.2.4. Investigate the genetic structures in the different populations.

4.2.5. Implement the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan (CBird 2015) throughout the circumpolar Arctic.

Increase knowledge about the colonies in the Arctic.

4.4.1. Finalize an overview of the location of all breeding colonies in the Arctic.

4.4.2. Identify important areas and generate sensitivity maps around the Arctic.

Determine predation rates and the best mitigation measures to reduce the impact.

4.5.1. Investigate the magnitude and effect of predation at population level.

Non-consumptive use

Objective Encourage non-consumptive use of Ivory Gulls that do not threaten their populations and ensure that non consumptive use of Ivory Gulls is sustainable.

Action

• Evaluate risks to breeding Ivory Gulls from tourism and other human activities.
• Prepare guidelines for tourist operators tominimize their impacts on Ivory Gulls.
• Work to support education and/or enforcement efforts in support of existing harvest regulations to prevent illegal harvest.

Habitat protection

Objective: Protect key habitat to ensure continued viability of Ivory Gull populations that depend on them.

Actions

• Prepare summary of protected areas containing important Ivory Gull habitats.
• Evaluate the Circumpolar Protected Areas Network (CPAN) and other mechanisms to protect habitats important to the Ivory Gull.
• Identify important Ivory Gull habitat areas still requiring protection and designate them under national and international systems of protected areas (e.g. Birdlife International system, Important Bird Areas).
• Identify and implement any additional protective mechanisms such as treaties, agreements, regulations, and policies needed to protect Ivory Gull habitats.