About the SMP Report

The annual SMP Report, Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change, has been published by BTO each year since 2024. It documents the population trends and breeding success of 25 breeding seabird species across the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland, based on data collected by volunteer and professional surveyors through the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP). 

The data used in each annual report span several decades, beginning in 1986, in order to accurately capture the population changes and trends over an extended time period. This is particularly important for seabirds, which are generally long-lived and have low reproductive outputs. These characteristics mean that any changes in the breeding productivity of seabirds may only be reflected in their population sizes many years later.

The report is produced by the SMP National Organiser at BTO, with population trends produced by BTO and JNCC Data Scientists and Research Ecologists. The population trends and indices in the report are Official Statistics, so follow standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This ensures that published government statistics are high-quality and produced by trustworthy organisations.

• Digital versions of reports are available to view and download for free.
• Printed copies may be requested by emailing smp@bto.org.
• Reports published prior to 2024 can be accessed via the Seabird Monitoring Programme section of the JNCC website.

Information in the report

Population trend and breeding productivity information is provided for all 25 seabird species that regularly breed in the UK. Where there is sufficient data available, individual trends from the Channel Islands, England, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are also presented for each species. 

In addition to data and trends about breeding seabirds, the SMP Report includes:

• Articles by authors from the SMP and SMP partners (BTO, JNCC and RSPB) about the role of SMP data in conservation, and updates on newly published or ongoing research using SMP data
• An overview of SMP methodology and guidelines for interpreting the annual results of the survey
• Acknowledgement and thanks to organisations and individuals who have supported the scheme through funding or volunteering

Impact of the SMP Report

The Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes and breeding success of the UK’s regularly occurring breeding seabirds. The results published in the SMP Report are widely used by Defra and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs, e.g. Natural England and NatureScot) to inform policy and conservation action, and more broadly, to assess the health of the wider environment. 

The SMP Report is just one of many outputs produced using data from the SMP. It sits alongside contributions to many biodiversity indicators, including the UK and Scottish Biodiversity Indicators, the Marine Online Assessment Tool, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) indicators, the Convention on Biological Diversity National Report, Welsh State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR) and the State of UK Birds report. 

Data presented in the SMP Report are also used to assign the conservation status of breeding seabirds, as published in Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC), to assess the ecological status of designated Special Protection Areas (SPAs), and to inform the consenting process for renewable energy projects. 

Further information

Further information about the Seabird Monitoring Programme is available, including other SMP results, news and publications. 

All SMP Reports