Fertiliser or Puffin Food?

Puffins are dependent upon small fish, like sandeels. Enormous numbers of sandeels have, however, been dredged to make agricultural fertiliser. Puffin stocks have shown dramatic declines in areas where sandeel 'fishing' is greatest. The government now hope that a ban on sandeel fishing in UK waters, will help conserve the puffin ((https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/16/uk-may-ban-sandeel-fishing-in-move-to-save-threatened-seabirds). The general public find puffins attractive. Sandeel fishing is also a relatively minor activity of the fishing fleet. A ban, in this case, is relatively easy to achieve. The UK really needs to do much more, to minimise the impact of human activities, around its shores, on seabird populations.