Changes in the diet of Shetland's Great Skuas

As opportunistic hunters and scavengers, the diet of Great Skuas is a good indicator of resource availability in marine ecosystems. Discarded fish from fishing boats is a key source of food for a variety of seabirds, including the Great Skua. However, skuas will also prey on other seabirds if necessary.

With the EU enacting a “discard ban” for North Sea fisheries in 2015, what can Shetland Great Skua diet tell us about the state of North Sea marine ecosystems, and the effects of this ban? What wider implications do changes in fishery practises and discarded fish have on coastal seabird populations in Shetland?