Seabirds drowned in fishing nets off Jan Mayen (Greenland Sea)

Bits and pieces of fishing nets found at Jan Mayen island (central Greenland Sea) often contained the entangled remains of seabirds. Brünnich’s Guillemots Uria Iomvia and Little Auks Alle alle alle were the commonest species encountered, but also Puffin Fratercula arctica naumanni and Northern Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis were found. Pieces of coarse trawl nets and fine gill nets were found, and it is suggested that the birds drowned when the nets were discarded or lost (ghost-nets). Only few and brief visits were made on Jan Mayen’s beaches between 1983 and 2000, but the recent finds suggests that substantial numbers of seabirds may drown in fishing gear around this remote island in the North Atlantic.