» CBird Description

Marine and coastal ecosystems are socio-economically and biologically important features in circumpolar regions.  Populations of seabirds in the circumpolar region are large and diverse.  About 16 species of seabirds have circumpolar distributions while several other species are shared between two or more countries. 

Arctic countries often share the same seabird populations.  Consequently, there is a joint and equal responsibility for the conservation of seabirds in and outside the Arctic.  Arctic countries also share common population and habitat threats in marine and coastal ecosystems that seabirds depend on for their survival.

Traditionally, conservation, management, and research activities for seabirds in the Arctic have been poorly coordinated in terms of common direction, concerns, field methods, reporting and information exchange.  Existing governmental and non-governmental regional seabird groups are organized in a north-south or latitudinal manner and not in an east-west or longitudinal manner.  Therefore, seabird activities have been poorly coordinated in a circumpolar context. 

CBird recognises that seabird conservation, management, and research activities could most effectively be achieved and harmonized by a multilateral approach of all Arctic countries.  It was in this simple context that CBird was approved in 1993 within the organizational structure of the CAFF program, a component of the Arctic Council.  CBird ensures that scientists and managers interested in northern seabirds have a common forum to promote, facilitate and coordinate conservation, management, and research activities of mutual concern.