PUFFINS ARE BACK AFTER FISHING BAN

But experts say more must be done to save at-risk birds

- DAN VEVERS

PUFFINS are returning to Scotland's shores for the summer season for the first time since a landmark ban on sandeel fishing.

The prohibition on industrial fishing for sandeel - a vital food source for puffins and other seabirds - has been hailed by conservationists.

But experts have warned more must be done to save the at-threat species, known as "the clown of the sea", amid alarming declines.

Three-quarters of the UK's puffins are based in Scots breeding colonies. But the population has fallen by a third here since 2000.