Scavenging seabirds at beamtrawlers in the southern North Sea : distribution, relative abundance, behaviour, prey selection, feeding efficiency, kleptoparasitism and the possible effects of the establishment of 'protected areas'

In the southern part of the North Sea at least 28 species of scavenging seabirds try to obtain a part of their feed behind fishingboats. Per cent are mentioned of feed which is put overboard and the consumption of it by the different kind of seabirds. A reduction of the quantities discards catch and offal can have all kinds of effects at seabirds, depending of the way how changement is achieved. The effects of seabirds can roughly be predicted from data derived from this study.