Massale sterfte van zeekoeten Uria aalge voor de Nederlandse kust, winter 1988/1989

Exceptional numbers of Guillemots washed ashore from November 1988 to January 1989 on the Dutch coast. Most Guillemots were severely emaciated, and 60-70% were (slightly) oil contaminated. High densities were recorded on most of our coastline (table 1), and it could be shown that nearly 2,000 Guillemots had washed ashore on the mainland coast of Noord-Holland only (60 km, Nov-Apr, figure 1). By extrapolation for total coast-length in each of the regions, using the national seasonal pattern to fill in gaps, it could be estimated that 6,500 Guillemots had washed ashore in the Netherlands between November and April. This figure does not include the 762 Guillemots which had been found alive on our beaches and which were brought into rehabilitation centres. Most Guillemots were severely emaciated, and starvation must have been the cause of death in many cases. The incident reminds us to similar incidents witnessed in the early 1980s, and indicates that wintering Guillemots are still suffering from food shortages.