Puffins, Kittiwakes, Razorbills and other threatened seabirds have been thrown a lifeline, after decades of campaigning has finally succeeded in stopping industrial sandeel fishing in the English North Sea. And Scotland could soon follow suit.

The UK Government’s decision to close the sandeel fishery in the English North Sea comes after more than 25 years of campaigning by the RSPB and others, which called out the practice as one of the leading causes of seabird decline. Many seabirds, including Puffins, rely on sandeels to feed their chicks. But climate change and over-fishing has vastly depleted sandeel populations, having a devastating knock-on effect on seabirds.