ACAP Latest News

Read about recent developments and findings in procellariiform science and conservation relevant to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels in ACAP Latest News.

Contact the ACAP Communications Advisor if you wish to have your news featured.

What’s on the menu? Diet of Cory’s Shearwaters reveals distribution of pelagic prey

Hansy Alonso (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Lisbon, Portugal) and colleagues have published in the journal Progress in Oceanography on the fish diet of Cory’s Shearwaters Calonectris borealis (Least Concern) from the Selvagens.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The distribution of many marine organisms is still poorly understood, particularly in oceanic regions. Seabirds, as aerial predators which cover extensive areas across the oceans, can potentially be used to enhance our knowledge on the distribution and abundance of their prey. In this study, we combined tracking data and dietary data from individual Cory’s shearwaters Calonectris borealis (n = 68) breeding in Selvagens archipelago, Madeira, Portugal, during the chick-rearing periods of 2011 and 2016, in order to infer prey origin within shearwaters’ main foraging areas. The digestion state of each prey item in the diet was assessed and classified; and compared to digestion states from known prey items fed to captive birds. In a novel approach, we combined tracking data with information on the prey digestion duration and data on the transit times from foraging grounds to the colony to estimate the location of prey capture. We found a consistent heterogeneity in prey distribution across four different marine domains: Selvagens, deep-sea, seamounts, and continental shelf. In oceanic areas, the chub mackerel Scomber colias, the main prey of Cory’s shearwaters, was strongly associated with seamounts and insular shelves, whereas oceanic species like pilot-fish, flying-squid, flying-fish were clearly associated with deep-sea waters. Sardines Sardina pilchardus, anchovies Engraulis encrasicolus and other coastal species were associated with the African shelf. Prey origin assignment was robust across three different sets of assumptions, and was also supported by information on the digestion state of prey collected over a large independent sampling period (671 samples, collected in 2008–2010). The integration of fine-scale dietary and foraging trip data from marine predators provides a new framework to gain insights into the distribution and abundance of prey species in poorly known oceanic areas.”

Cory's Shearwater, photograph by John Graham

Reference:

Alonso, H., Granadeiro, J.P., Dias, M.P., Catry, T. & Catry, P. 2018.  Fine-scale tracking and diet information of a marine predator reveals the origin and contrasting spatial distribution of prey.  Progress in Oceanography 162: 1-12.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 June 2018

Translocations of Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses in Hawaii; a case study

Eric Vanderwerf and colleagues of Pacific Rim Conservation have published a case study that describes their work translocating eggs and chicks of Laysan Phoebastria immutabilis and Black-footed P. nigripes Albatrosses in an endeavour to create a new colony on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that will be safe from projected sea-level rise.

In the next few years it is expected that hand-reared albatrosses that fledged successfully will return to commence breeding within the fenced translocation site in the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge.  Already one Laysan Albatross has returned to the refuge as a three-year old (click here).

Translocated Laysan Albatrosses shelter from the sun, photograph by Lindsay Young

Reference:

VanderWerf, E.A., Young, L.C., Kohley, C.R. & Dalton, M. 2018.  Translocations of Laysan and black-footed albatrosses in Hawaii, USA, to create new protected breeding colonies safe from climate change.  In: Soorae, P.S. (Ed.).  Global Reintroduction Perspectives: 2018.  Case Studies from around the Globe.  Gland, Switzerland & Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, UAE: IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group. pp. 100-105.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 June 2018

The report of last month’s Sixth Session of the Meeting of Parties to the Agreement is now available. Highlights are featured here

The English text of the report of last month’s Sixth Session of the Meeting of Parties (MoP6) to the Agreement held in South Africa is now available (click here).  Some of the meeting’s highlights follow.

The Sixth Session of the Meeting of Parties to the Agreement was hosted by South Africa in in the modern and well-equipped Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre in the Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park.  Dr Luthando Dziba, Managing Executive: Conservation Services, South African National Parks, formally welcomed delegates to the Sixth Session of the Meeting of Parties on behalf of the Government of South Africa.

In his address Dr Dziba welcomed all the delegates and observers to South Africa and to the Kruger National Park.  He noted that South Africa had previously hosted the Fourth Meeting of ACAP’s Advisory Committee, in Somerset West in 2008, but this was the first time it was hosting a session of the Meeting of Parties.  He described the importance of South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands for ACAP-listed species, including the globally Vulnerable Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans and the globally Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos.  He referred to research conducted on albatrosses and petrels at the Prince Edward Island group, including the at-sea tracking of albatrosses which showed they ranged widely in the Southern Ocean.

Albatross Valley on Prince Edward Island has a high density of breeding Wandering Albatrosses, photograph by Bruce Dyer

Dr Ashley Naidoo, Chief Director in the South African Department of Environmental Affairs’ Branch: Oceans and Coasts was elected to chair the meeting, supported by ACAP’s Executive Secretary, Dr Marco Favero and Dr Nathan Walker, Chair of ACAP’s Advisory Committee.  Dr Naidoo in his opening remarks was pleased to note that delegates from all 13 Parties were in attendance at the meeting, along with observers from three albatross and petrel range states (i.e. at least one ACAP-listed species occurs within its waters), Canada, Mexico (for its first ACAP meeting) and the USA.  Although not present this time it was noted close links were being kept with Namibia.  Observers were also present from several intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

A significant development at the meeting was the adoption, following some years of discussions, of a resolution to enable any member economy of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum whose vessels fish within the range of albatrosses and petrels to participate as an observer by sending representatives to sessions of the Meeting of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies.  It is believed this development will allow ACAP to engage with further distant water fishing nations that operate fisheries throughout the ranges of albatrosses and petrels an improvement in mitigating against the threats facing ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels

During the meeting delegates were told of the United Kingdom’s plan to eradicate introduced House Mice Mus musculus on Gough Island in the South Atlantic, set to take place next year. Notice was also given of South Africa’s intention to rid its sub-Antarctic Marion Island of House Mice in 2020, which, as at Gough, have taken up the habit of attacking and killing albatross chicks (which have no defences to a land-based predator).  The eradication of mice from these two important seabird islands will make a significant contribution to the improvement in the conservation status of a number of ACAP priority species and populations.  The meeting also heard of recent successes eradicating House Mice on New Zealand’s Antipodes Island and of both rats and mice on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*, the largest island where such an eradication has been so far attempted.

Details were given on ACAP’s arrangements with other bodies, especially the tuna Regional Fishery Management Organizations.  ACAP intended to work towards signing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) and the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).

An important part of the meeting’s work was to set the scale of contributions for Parties and a budget for the next triennium, up until the Seventh Session of the Meeting of Parties, expected to be held in 2021 in Hobart, Australia – when ACAP will be 20 years old.

It was noted that ACAP’s Executive Secretary will be leaving the position towards year end and that the position has been advertised and a short list of applicants drawn up, with the intention of making an appointment by the end of August.  As this was the last ACAP meeting Marco Favero will attend as Executive Secretary the meeting offered him its grateful thanks and best wishes for the future.

During the meeting delegates went on early-morning, evening and night-time game drives, courtesy of the South African hosts, seeing all the “Big Five” (African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Lion and White Rhino) as well as Giraffes, Spotted Hyenas, Honey Badgers and several species of buck and smaller mammals.  Delegates were able to use hand-held spotlights to view animals at night from the open vehicles.  One night-time drive was followed by a braaivleis (barbecue), with Kudu meat on the menu, under brilliant stars and candle light in a boma (stockade) outside the confines of the rest camp.  On the last evening South Africa hosted delegates to a traditional poikiekos (stew pot) meal in the open air within the camp.

French and Spanish texts of the MoP6 Report will be posted to this website by month end.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 June 2018

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.

Today is World Oceans Day - with a plastic pollution theme

World Oceans Day today has the theme "preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean".

Plastic pollution affects many of the 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, primarily by both ingestion, but also by entanglement.

Some species, notably the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses of the North Pacific, ingest many plastic objects found floating at sea and feed them to their chicks.  Southern Hemisphere albatrosses and petrels are not spared from this.  For example, ACAP Latest News has reported on plastic and other foreign objects (such as fragments of latex balloons) swallowed by a Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata and by Southern Macronectes giganteus and Northern M. halli Giant Petrels (see links below), and even on a toothbrush found among breeding Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans.

Remains of an albatross corpse on Midway Atoll with a large number of ingested plastic bottle caps

Plastic spoon and a latex balloon fragment removed from a Southern Giant Petrel (click here)

 

Non ACAP-listed procellariform seabirds that regularly ingest plastic items include many of the shearwater genera, notably the Near Threatened Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carnepeis.

For its part, the Secretariat is looking into ways of adopting a more-environmentally friendly policy for ACAP, starting with avoiding the presence of single-use plastic bottles and straws at its meetings.  ACAP has already moved to holding largely paperless meetings, collecting and reusing delegates’ plastic name tag holders and at its most recent meeting, in South Africa last month, it donated a printer and cartridges to a local school rather than taking them back to the Secretariat office in Australia.  In the Secretariat recycled paper is used for printing.

“On World Oceans Day, people around our blue planet celebrate and honour the ocean, which connects us all.  Get together with your family, friends, community, and the planet to start creating a better future.  Working together, we can and will protect our shared ocean. Join this growing global celebration on 8 June.”

World Oceans Day, first proposed in 1998, has been recognized by the United Nations since 2008. 

Previous postings on ingested balloons:

https://www.acap.aq/news/latest-news/2158-balloon-pollution-a-conservation-issue-for-albatrosses-and-petrels-2?lang=en

https://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/2824-surgery-removes-plastic-and-a-balloon-from-a-translocated-laysan-albatross-chick

https://www.acap.aq/news/latest-news/2791-a-plastic-spoon-and-a-balloon-are-successfully-removed-from-a-southern-giant-petrel?lang=en

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 June 2018

Seabird research and conservation to be discussed at August’s 27th International Ornithological Congress in Canada

The 27th International Ornithological Congress (IOCongress2018) will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada over 19-26 August.  The Congress is held under the auspices of the International Ornithologists' Union.

Peter Ryan, Director of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa will give a plenary address entitled Seabird Conservation - a Southern Hemisphere PerspectiveClick here for a list of all the plenary speakers and titles of their presentations.

A round-table discussion on seabird research and conservation in the Pacific Ocean will be held at the Congress.

Globally Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross on Prince Edward Island in the Southern Ocean, photograph by Peter Ryan

Abstracts for "traditional paper posters" may be submitted until 5 July (click here), providing registration has first been completed.  The full programme for the congress will be released this month.

“For more than 100 years, the quadrennial International Ornithological Congress has provided the platform where ornithologists from all over the world meet to share up-to-date research and conservation accomplishments and concerns. These congresses have been held in different geographical locations each time, not only to highlight regional efforts but also to facilitate participation for those who are unable to travel long distances to attend.”

John Cooper, ACAP information Officer, 07 June 2018

The Agreement on the
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations.

About ACAP

ACAP Secretariat

119 Macquarie St
Hobart TAS 7000
Australia

Tel: +61 3 6165 6674