This resource is impressive in terms of both total numbers (probably of the order of 100 million birds) and species diversity. A number of species are endemic to the area and hence of special interest.
The resource is international in that it includes major populations of migrants from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Soviet Union, and other countries. Several migrant species appear to use this area exclusively in their nonbreeding season and should be included in the list of endemics.
The general relation between the distribution and abundance of seabirds and other marine resources is beginning to be understood. However, comparatively little is known about the distribution of seabirds in winter, and there is a serious dearth of information about breeding success, survival, and demography.
Seabirds in the north Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas are concentrated over the continental shelf and in areas of high biological productivity. Hence they are especially vulnerable to human exploitation.
Seabirds of the northern Pacific Ocean have already been damaged by human activities in the past and present. Experience in other areas shows that seabirds are extremely vulnerable to human activities and their populations are often very slow to recover.
The most important threats to the seabird resource are oil drilling and transportation and introduced predators, especially foxes. Other identifiable threats include mineral exploitation, fishing, ocean dumping of toxic chemicals, and human disturbance, including both hunting and tourism.
Experience in other parts of the world, especially in the North Atlantic, has shown that seabird populations can be protected and restored through modest programs of management and public education. The principal exception has been the failure to regulate discharges of oil at sea, which continue to cause major damage to seabird populations in many areas.
In the North Pacific and Bering Sea areas, the most urgent conservation needs are effective regulation of prospective oil exploitation, control of introduced predators, and public education. Regional management plans should be developed. Public access to bird colonies should be managed carefully to combine protection with public education.
Conservation programs for seabirds can be justified as a response to increasing public demand for rational management of natural resources. Conservation programs are inexpensive in relation to the economic values generated by oil and mineral development. They represent a rational allocation of economic resources.
The following priorities for further study are suggested: