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.

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Choosing Marine Protected Areas in the South Atlantic by tracking albatrosses at sea

Maria Dias (BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, UK) and colleagues have published in the journal Biological Conservation on using seabirds tracked at sea in the South Atlantic to identify “priority sites for marine conservation”.  Four of the six globally threatened species breeding in the Tristan-Gough islands that are included in the study are listed within ACAP.  These are the Critically Endangered Tristan Diomedea dabbenena, Endangered Sooty Phoebetria fusca, Endangered Yellow-nosed Thalassarche chlororhynchos Albatrosses and the Vulnerable Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The Convention on Biological Diversity aspires to designate 10% of the global oceans as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), but so far, few MPAs protect pelagic species in the high seas. Transparent scientific approaches are needed to ensure that these encompass areas with high biodiversity value. Here we used the distribution of all globally threatened seabirds breeding in a centrally located archipelago (Tristan da Cunha) to provide guidance on where MPAs could be established in the South Atlantic Ocean. We combined year-round tracking data from six species, and used the systematic conservation-planning tool, ‘Zonation’, to delineate areas that would protect the largest proportion of each population. The areas used most intensively varied among species and seasons. Combining the sites used by all six species suggested that the most important areas of the South Atlantic are located south of South Africa, around the central South Atlantic between 30°S and 55°S, and near South America. We estimated that the longline fishing effort in these intensively used areas is around 11 million hooks on average each year, highlighting the need for improved monitoring of seabird bycatch rates and the enforcement of compliance with bird bycatch mitigation requirements by fisheries. There was no overlap between the identified areas and any of the existing MPAs in the South Atlantic. The conservation of these highly mobile, pelagic species cannot be achieved by single countries, but requires a multi-national approach at an ocean-basin scale, such as an agreement for the conservation of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction under the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

 Tristan Albatross 3 Tom McSherry

A Tristan Albatross displays on Gough Island, photograph by Tom McSherry

Reference:

Dias, M.P., Oppel, S., Bond, A.L., Carneiro, A.P.B., Cuthbert, R.J., González-Solís, J., Wanless, R.M., Glass, T., Lascelles, B., Small, C. & Phillips, R.A. 2017.  Using globally threatened pelagic birds to identify priority sites for marine conservation in the South Atlantic Ocean.  Biological Conservation 211: 76-84.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 June 2017

Seabird mortality in the Namibian demersal longline fishery reduced with mitigation measures

John Paterson (Albatross Task Force Namibia, Walvis Bay, Namibia) and colleagues write in the journal Oryxon the large numbers of seabirds estimated killed by longliners in Namibian waters.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Seabird bycatch is widely regarded as the greatest threat globally to procellariiform seabirds. Although measures to reduce seabird–fishery interactions have been in existence for many years, uptake in fleets with high risk profiles remains variable. We recorded seabird bycatch and other interactions in the Namibian demersal longline fishery. Interaction rates were estimated for seasonal and spatial strata and scaled up to fishing effort data. Bycatch rates were 0.77 (95% CI 0.24–1.39) and 0.37 (95% CI 0.11–0.72) birds per 1,000 hooks in winter and summer, respectively. Scaling up to 2010, the most recent year for which complete data are available, suggests 20,567 (95% CI 6,328–37,935) birds were killed in this fishery that year. We compared bycatch rates to those from experimental fishing sets using mitigation measures (one or two bird-scaring lines and the replacement of standard concrete weights with 5 kg steel weights). All mitigation measures significantly reduced the bycatch rate. This study confirms the Namibian longline fishery has some of the highest known impacts on seabirds globally, but implementing simple measures could rapidly reduce those impacts. In November 2015 the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources introduced regulations requiring the use of bird-scaring lines, line weighting and night setting in this fishery. A collaborative approach between NGOs, industry and government was important in achieving wide understanding and acceptance of the proposed mitigation measures in the lead up to the introduction of new fishery regulations.”

Atlantic Yellow nosed Albatross2 by Peter Ryan

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross: at risk to longlines off Namibia, photograph by Peter Ryan

Reference:

Paterson, J.R.B., Yates, O., Holtzhausen, H., Reid, T., Shimooshili, K., Yates, S., Sullivan, B.J., & Wanless , R.M. 2017.  Seabird mortality in the Namibian demersal longline fishery and recommendations for best practice mitigation measures.  Oryx doi.org/10.1017/S0030605317000230.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 June 2017

Radar studies show Hawaiian Petrel and Newell's Shearwater numbers are decreasing

André Raine (Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, Hanapēpē, Kaua‘i, Hawaii, USA) and colleagues have published in the journal Condor on declining population trends of globally Vulnerable Hawaiian Petrels Pterodroma sandwichensis and globally Endangered Newell's Shearwaters Puffinus newelli on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The island of Kaua‘i, Hawaii, USA, holds a large breeding populations of the endangered Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and a majority of the world population of the threatened Newell's Shearwater (Puffinus newelli). We evaluated island-wide population trends of both species. For Newell's Shearwaters, we considered radar counts at 13 sites between 1993 and 2013 and annual island-wide tallies of fledglings retrieved after being grounded by light attraction in 1979–2015 (Save Our Shearwaters [SOS] program). For Hawaiian Petrels, we considered radar counts alone. Radar data indicated a 78% decline overall in numbers of Hawaiian Petrels (at an average rate of ∼6% per year) and a 94% decline overall in numbers of Newell's Shearwaters (at an average rate of ∼13% per year) during the survey period. Most (92%) radar sites showed significant declines of Newell's Shearwaters across the entire survey period, as did 62% of sites for Hawaiian Petrels. The SOS recovery effort collected 30,522 Newell's Shearwater fledglings between 1979 and 2015. When we compared this dataset in pre- and post-Hurricane Iniki (September 1992) periods, we found a significant downward trend after Hurricane Iniki, similar to the trend seen in the radar data. The large-scale declines found in this study are not surprising, considering the significant threats facing both species on Kaua‘i, which include powerline collisions, light attraction, introduced predators, and habitat modification - threats which were potentially exacerbated after Hurricane Iniki. Improved conservation initiatives and an increased understanding of the various threats facing the 2 species are key to reversing these declines.”

Newells Shearwater release Elizabeth Ames s

A Newell's Shearwater fledgling downed by lights gets released, photograph by Elizabeth Ames

Read more here and here.

Reference:

Raine, A.F.,Holmes, N.D.,Travers, M.,Cooper, B.A. & Day, R.H. 2017.  Declining population trends of Hawaiian Petrel and Newell's Shearwater on the island of Kaua‘i, Hawaii, USA. The Condor 119: 405-415.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 June 2017

BirdLife’s Seabird Tracking Data Base reaches 10 million locality records with an ACAP-listed Southern Giant Petrel

BirdLife International’s Seabird Tracking Data Base “Tracking Ocean Wanderers” has since initiation in 2003 following a workshop in South Africa reached 10 million records from over 120 research bodies covering 131 species of which 66 are procellariiforms (tubenoses) including many (if not all) of the 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters.

“A symbol of the collaborative nature of the database, the ten millionth data point comes from a dataset owned by two contributors: Jacob González-Solís (Universitat de Barcelona) and Peter Ryan (Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town).  Number 10 million was a data point of the Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus, a bird with an impressively ample distribution that ranges from Argentina to Australia.”  The giant petrel was tracked from South Africa’s Marion Island, in the southern Indian Ocean (click here).

Colour-banded Southern Giant Petrel from Gough Island at sea, photograph by Peter Ryan

View at-sea data points for two other ACAP-listed species, the Northern Giant Petrel M. halli from Marion Island here and of Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris from Kerguelen here.

The bird tracked for the longest so far is a juvenile Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena from the UK’s Gough Island in the South Atlantic, another South African research endeavour, which travelled to the southern Indian Ocean.

Read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 June 2017

New Zealand’s Conservation Services Programme considers reports on aerial surveys of albatrosses and design of bird-scaring lines

A number of reports relating to aspects of the conservation and biology of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels have been tabled at the May and June meetings of the Conservation Services Programme’s Technical Working Group of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.  Albatrosses  covered include Antipodean Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni, Northern Royal D. sanfordi, Buller's Thalassarche bulleri and White-capped T. steadi, along with the Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli.

The reports are listed by authors and titles below.  Click here to access their full texts.

 

Northern Giant Petrel chick on Diappointment Island, photograph by Graham Parker

References:

Baker, G.B. & Jensz, K. 2017.  White-capped Albatross Aerial Photographic Survey, January 2017 Milestone 2 Report.  Report prepared for Department of Conservation Contract 4687-2C.  [Kettering]: Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants.  4 pp.

Baker, G.B., Jensz, K., Elliott, G. & Walker, K. 2017.  Aerial Survey for Gibson’s Albatross on Adams Island, 2016.  Final Report prepared for New Zealand Department of Conservation.  [Kettering]: Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants.  12 pp.

Baker, G.B., Jensz, K., Bell, M., Fretwell, P.T. & Phillips, R.A.  2017.  Seabird Population Research, Chatham Islands 2016/17 aerial photographic Survey Draft Final Report.  Report prepared for Department of Conservation Contract 4686-2.  [Kettering]: Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants.  16 pp.

Bell, E. & Bell, M. [2017].  INT 2016/02 Identification of Seabirds Captured in New Zealand Fisheries Quarterly Report: 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2016.  Blenheim: Wildlife Management International.  14 pp.

Goad, D. 2017.  Tori Line Designs for Small Longline Vessels Draft Final Report.  [Papamoa]: Vita Maris.  19 pp.

Parker, G.C., Sagar, P., Thompson, D. &Rexer‐Huber, K. 2016.  The Establishment of a Marked Population of White‐Capped Albatross to allow  Estimation of Adult Survival & other Demographic Parameters, Disappointment  Island,  Auckland Islands. Department of Conservation, Conservation Services Programme, Contract 4687‐2A.  Dunedin: Parker Conservation.  14 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 June 2017

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.

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