Count shows guillemot decline continuing on Bjørnøya

As much as half of the Brünnich's guillemot breeding population on Bjørnøya and Svalbard has probably been lost in recent years, NRK wrote, adding that between 5 and 15% disappear each year. According to NRK, the 2026 count of Brünnich's guillemots on Bjørnøya shows the decline continuing. NRK said about 1 million seabirds are tied to Bjørnøya.

NRK reported that Arctic seabirds such as the Brünnich's guillemot must search ever larger areas for food for their chicks, and that new prey has lower nutritional value. NRK reported that Arctic species are declining while southern species advance. The common guillemot is moving north, but NRK reported that its growth on Bjørnøya stopped in 2026.

Hallvard Strøm, a seabird researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute, told NRK that 80 to 90% of the Norwegian common guillemot population is now gathered on Bjørnøya, and called it risky to have all the eggs in one basket. NRK also reported that Equinor announced in the summer that it will go ahead with the Wisting field in the Barents Sea, about 180 km from Bjørnøya, in an area used by seabirds. Researchers warn that an oil spill could have dramatic consequences for seabirds, NRK wrote.

State secretary Snorre Erichsen Skjervak of Energidepartementet (the Ministry of Energy) said in an e-mail to NRK that Wisting can bring large revenues and jobs. According to NRK, the ministry said the environmental effects will be assessed through an impact assessment and a public hearing.

Coverage: NRK