Papers are invited for presentation at the Island Invasives 2026 Conference, in the form of either a talk or a poster.  The conference is to be held in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand over 9-13 February 2026. It is the fourth conference in the series that commenced in Auckland in 2001.

“Papers may be submitted on any topic relating to invasive alien species on islands, where the term ‘island’ is broadly interpreted in terrestrial, marine and freshwater systems.  The invasive species involved may be flora, fauna or funga.  The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.  The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies.”

Click here to submit, and please  review the submission guidelines carefully before submitting your abstract.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 11 March 2025

Black-footed Albatross by Colleen Laird‎ of Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day, 19 June 2020

Jessie Beck (Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, USA) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Biological Conservation on quantifying bycatch by US Fisheries of Near Threatened Black-footed Albatrosses Phoebastria nigripes using genetic markers.

The paper’s highlights (unusually there is no abstract) follow:

Characterizing the demographic impact of seabird bycatch is challenging.

Black-footed albatross are [sic] accidentally caught in fisheries throughout the Pacific Ocean.

U.S.fisheries collect seabird bycatch [data] that can be analyzed for population-of-origin.

We identify disproportionate bycatch from specific breeding colonies.

Genetic assignment using targeted genetic markers can tease apart populations in species with low genetic differentiation.

jReference:

Beck, J.N., Baetscher, D.S., Tobin, C., Edwards, S.V., Yung Wa Sin, S., Fitzgerald, S., Tuttle, V.J., Peschon, J. & Larson, W.A. 2025.  Quantifying impacts of seabird bycatch using genetic assignment: a case study of black-footed albatross in U.S. fisheries.  Biological Conservation 303. 110965.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels,10 March 2025

“Save my Ocean” by Anju Rajesh of Artists & Biologists Unte for Nature (ABUN)  for World Albatross Day, 2023 with its theme of Plastic Pollution

Alix de Jersey (Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia) and colleagues have published open access in the Marine Pollution Bulletin on plastic ingestion by six species of Australian petrels and shearwaters, with occurrence ranging from 0-75%.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“While the problem of plastic ingestion by wildlife is well recognised, it also suffers from a “file drawer” problem where small incidentally collected data remains unpublished because on its own, it may represent only a handful of individuals. There is great strength, however, in combining these disparate datasets to make inferences about broader patterns and therefore inform the discussion about the impacts and extent of plastic ingestion by providing data for sparsely sampled taxa. Here we summarise plastic ingestion records collected from seven seabird species in Western Australia and New South Wales, Australia to provide a baseline and updates on exposure of these species to plastics. For most of the species included in our assessment, this is the first data available regarding plastic ingestion in more than two decades. Very low rates of plastic ingestion were observed in Great-winged Petrels Pterodroma macroptera, Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis, and Providence Petrels Pterodroma solandri with only the adult and fledgling Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica and Sable Shearwater Ardenna carneipes containing moderate amounts of plastic (>8 % prevalence). Black-winged Petrels Pterodroma nigripennis and Masked Boobies Sula dactylatra did not contain any ingested plastic. These data were collected and reported using standardised methods to ensure the information can be used as a benchmark against prior and future plastic ingestion studies. Syntheses such as these provide valuable knowledge for regions or species with limited data, and in doing so, begin to reveal patterns of plastic pollution and its relevance to seabird conservation.”

Reference

de Jersey, A,M., Bond, A.L. & Lavers, J.L. 2025. b Strength in numbers: Combining small pockets of opportunistic sampling for Australian seabird plastic ingestion.  Marine Pollution Bulletin 214. 117757.

Leigh Wolfaardt’s The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands, painted in gouache and graphite pencil, is now available for purchase as a limited edition giclée print

Leigh Wolfaardt is a South African artist with a strong interest in islands and their conservation.  The wild and spectacular environments of islands and their wealth of animal life continue to be great sources of inspiration for her art.  She is particularly passionate about seabirds, with a particular love for the majestic albatrosses, icons of the open ocean.  Leigh has now made prints of her The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands’ that depicts the islands’ five species available in support of the Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds. The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project.

Leigh writes to the MFM Project:

“I was super delighted with the enthusiastic response that my painting ‘The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands’ generated at the live auction that was held onboard the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage, organised by BirdLife South Africa.  My painting was created specifically to generate funds for the Mouse-Free Marion Project, which is aiming to eradicate invasive mice from Marion Island to protect its globally important and remarkable seabirds.  To raise funds for this vital project, my painting has now found a new home, and I am making available limited edition giclée prints of the original artwork.  50% of all proceeds generated from the sale of the prints will be donated to the project.  If you are interested in purchasing one of these prints and supporting the project to rid the island of the devastating effects of the mice on these beautiful birds, visit my website here.”

Southern Giant Petrels are also at risk to mice on Marion Island, artwork by Leigh Wolfaardt

Leigh Wolfaardt is the partner of Anton Wolfaardt, the Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager.  Together they have lived and conducted conservation research on seabirds on South Africa’s Dassen Island, in the Falkland Islands and on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*.  Leigh and Anton now live in a Victorian house150 km from Cape Town in the heritage village of Stanford, set in a tapestry of farmland, fynbos and mountains along the famed Cape Whale Coast of South Africa.

Wandering Albatrosses displaying and nesting on Prion Island in the South Atlantic, linocut by Leigh Wolfaardt

On a personal note, the ACAP Emeritus Information Officer is proud to have print 1/500, signed for him by Leigh and presented by the MFM Project, hanging in pride of place on the ‘albatross wall’ in his Rondebosch home.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels,06 March 2025

*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.