--- title: "2010 News Archive" --- # 2010 News Archive ## Southern Giant Petrels in East Antarctica: stable populations? The Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* is the only ACAP-listed species that breeds on the Antarctic Continent.  Most occur in the Antarctic Peninsula region but four small colonies are to be found in East Antarctica, where it was thought the numbers had decreased. However, four Australian researchers have looked at the historical data for these colonies critically, and for two of the three they studied found no good evidence supporting a population change.  The giant petrel populations of all three colonies (Frazier Islands, Giganteus Island and Hawker Island) are now considered to be stable.  In their publication in the open-access journal *Endangered Species Research*, they emphasize the need to collect long-term data in a consistent manner, and not to place excessive reliance on historical counts with inadequate descriptions of the methodologies used.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_flying_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Warwick Barnes") **Reference:**  Wienecke, B., Leaper, R, Hay, I. & van den Hoff, J. 2009.  Retrofitting historical data in population studies: Southern Giant Petrels in the Australian Antarctic Territory.  *Endangered Species Research* 8: 157-164.  [http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2009/8/n008p157.pdf](http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2009/8/n008p157.pdf).  For a global review of the breeding distribution and population status of the Southern Giant Petrel go to [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf).  [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Southern Giant Petrel  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/southern-giant-petrels-in-east-antarctica-stable-populations.md) ## South Atlantic Wandering Albatrosses remain at risk from ingestion of and entanglement with fishing gear UPDATED Monitoring of the amounts of fishing gear found in association with albatrosses at a colony in the south-west Atlantic Ocean over a 16-year period has revealed that of the ACAP-listed species of albatrosses and giant petrels studied, the [Wandering Albatross](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) *Diomedea exulans* is the most affected. The study, published on-line in the journal *[Biological Conservation](http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405853/description#description)* last month by Richard Phillips and colleagues, investigated the levels of ingestion of discarded longline hooks and of entanglement in fishing line by visiting nests on a regular basis. Despite reductions in the discarding of fishing gear in legal demersal longline fisheries in the Southern Ocean, brought about by regulations and the high level of observers (and in one fishery as a requirement of continued accreditation by the [Marine Stewardship Council](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/south-atlantic-indian-ocean/south-georgia-patagonian-toothfish-longline)), the levels of hooks associated with the studied seabirds has risen recently.  This the paper considers to be due to the adoption of a new type of demersal longlining within the albatrosses' at -sea ranges: the Chilean mixed or "cachalotera" system which is thought to lead to higher rates of hook loss. The publication considers that "increasing awareness amongst observers, operators and fishermen is a fundamental first step to addressing the problem".  **![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by John Cooper")** **Reference:**  Phillips. R.A., Ridley, C., Reid, K., Pugh, P/J/A., Tuck, G.N. & Harrison, N. 2010.  Ingestion of fishing gear and entanglements of seabirds: monitoring and implications for management.  *Biological Conservation* 143: 501- 512 ([click here](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-4Y0C2HB-2&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2010&_rdoc=27&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235798%232010%23998569997%231591125%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5798&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=31&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=e535af1dd82729c9d1c1bf5fa26a6ea0)).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/south-atlantic-wandering-albatrosses-remain-at-risk-from-ingestion-of-and-entanglement-with-fishing-gear.md) ## Wandering Albatrosses: how close should you get? It is well-known that most seabird species breeding at sub-Antarctic islands are confiding and allow of close approach without seemingly causing excessive disturbance.  Among the ACAP-listed species of surface-nesting albatrosses and petrels it appears it is only the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* (and not at all its breeding colonies) that is the notable exception to this general observation. Yet lack of, for example, a flight response, does not necessarily mean that disturbance of breeding southern albatrosses is not harmful to them in some way, perhaps by a reduction in breeding success, or in the long term, affecting recruitment to an often-visited locality.  An example of the latter is where the numbers of Wandering Albatrosses *Diomedea exulans* breeding in close proximity to a weather station have dropped over a fifty-year period ([click here](http://www.springerlink.com/content/rrm05a937qx2gvqb/fulltext.pdf?page=1)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "A breeding Wandering Albatross at Marion Island. Photographed (at a distance) by John Cooper") As part of her research towards a PhD, recently awarded by the University of Cape Town, Mariëtte Wheeler and colleagues studied the effects of different types of pedestrian approaches on the behaviour of breeding Wandering Albatrosses at South Africa's Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean.  The study showed that frequency of approach did not influence short-term behavioural responses, but did affect chick survival. These findings are of relevance when both drawing up regulations for shore-based tourism and guidelines for the conducting of research on islands where Wanderers breed.  **Reference:**  Wheeler, M., de Villiers, M.S. & Majiedt, P.A. 2009.  The effect of frequency and nature of pedestrian approaches on the behaviour of Wandering Albatrosses at sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  *Polar Biology* 32: 197-205.  [http://www.springerlink.com/content/55103278441p7658/fulltext.pdf?page=1](http://www.springerlink.com/content/55103278441p7658/fulltext.pdf?page=1)  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/wandering-albatrosses-how-close-should-you-get.md) ## Demographic and bycatch research on albatrosses and petrels at French sub-Antarctic islands Research on albatrosses and petrels on French Possessions in the southern Indian Ocean has been conducted for a number of decades, and for some species, for half a century.  Field work has been conducted on all three island groups, Crozets, St Paul-Amsterdam and Kerguelen, where together at total of 12 ACAP-listed species breed. Much of the current research is conducted by ornithologists based at the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé ([Chizé Centre for Biological Studies](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/)), part of the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research).  Research at the CEBC focuses on understanding the ecology of wild animals in their natural environments, including in the sub-Antarctic. A chronological list of its publications is available on the CEBC web site, with downloadable PDFs available for many of the more recent papers. Four 2009 publications by Karine Delord, Virginie Rolland and their colleagues at the CEBC variously address the impacts of fisheries, climate and disease on adult survival and breeding success of populations of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses *Thalassarche carteri* on Amsterdam Island, of Black-browed albatrosses *T. melanophris* on Kerguelen and of White-chinned *Procellaria aequinoctialis* and Grey *P. cinerea*Petrels in the French Exclusive Economic Zones around the Crozet and Kerguelen island groups. Information on theses awarded to CEBC students who have studied ACAP-listed seabirds may also be found on the Centre's web site (for an example [click here](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Rolland.pdf)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/white_chinned_petrel_hooked_by nicolas_gasco.jpg "Hooked White-chinned Petrel. Photograph by Nicolas Gasco ") **References:** DELEORD, K., GASCO, N., BARBRAUD, C. & WEIMERSKIRCH, H. 2009. Multivariate effects on seabird bycatch in the legal Patagonian toothfish fishery around Crozet and Kerguelen Islands.  *Polar Biology*  DOI 10.1007/s00300-009-0713-3.  [http://www.springerlink.com/content/c388738701382234/fulltext.pdf?page=1](http://www.springerlink.com/content/c388738701382234/fulltext.pdf?page=1) ROLLAND, V., BARBRAUD, C. & WEIMERSKIRCH, H. 2009.  Assessing the impact of fisheries, climate and disease on the dynamics of the Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross. *Biological Conservation* 142**:** 1084-1095. ([PDF](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2009/RBC142_2009.pdf)) ROLLAND, V., NEVOUX, M**.,** BARBRAUD, C. & WEIMERSKIRCH, H. 2009.  Respective impact of climate and fisheries on the growth of an albatross population. *Ecological Applications* 19: 1336-1346. ([PDF](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2009/REA19_2009.pdf)) ROLLAND, V., WEIMERSKIRCH, H. & BARBRAUD, C. 2009.  Relative influence of fisheries and climate on the demography of four albatross species.  *Global Change Biology* DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02070.x. [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122597991/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETR=0](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122597991/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETR=0) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan2.jpg "Grey Petrel. Photograph by Peter Ryan") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/demographic-and-bycatch-research-on-albatrosses-and-petrels-at-french-sub-antarctic-islands.md) ## Foraging patterns of albatrosses in the South Atlantic: new research published Tracking data obtained from four species of albatrosses undertaking foraging flights in the South Atlantic show that the species studied took account of environmental conditions, such as wind speed and direction.  However, unlike in several other studies conducted in the southern Indian Ocean, no good evidence of dual foraging behaviour by breeding adults (alternating long and short provisioning trips while rearing chicks) was obtained. The species studied were Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans*, Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris*, Grey-headed Albatross *T. chrysostoma*and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross *Phoebetria palpebrata.* ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Light-mantled sooty albatross by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") The research was conducted by Richard Phillips and Ewan Wakefield of the [British Antarctic Survey](http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/), along with colleagues at the Universities of St Andrews (Scotland) and Shizuoka and Tokyo (Japan), and has been recently published in the journals *[Ecological Monographs](http://www.esapubs.org/esapubs/journals/monographs.htm)* and *[Marine Ecology Progress Series](http://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/)*. [Click here](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v391/p165-182/) for a related publication. **References:** Phillips, R.A., Wakefield, E.D., Croxall, J.P., Fukuda, A. & Higuchi, H. 2009.  Albatross foraging behaviour: no evidence for dual foraging, and limited support for anticipatory regulation of provisioning at South Georgia.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 391: 279-292.  [http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v391/p279-292/](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v391/p279-292/) Wakefield, E.D., Phillips, R.A., Matthiopoulos, J., Fukuda, A., Higuchi, H, Marshall, G,J. & Trathan, P.N. 2009.  Wind field and sex constrain the flight speeds of central-place foragers.  *Ecological Monographs* 79: 663-679.  [http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/07-2111.1](http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/07-2111.1) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 January 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/foraging-patterns-of-albatrosses-in-the-south-atlantic-new-research-published.md) ## News from the field: working with Southern Giant Petrels on Gough Island Graham Parker and Kalinka Rexer-Huber, originally from New Zealand, are spending a year on Gough Island in the South Atlantic conducting research towards the eventual eradication of the introduced House Mouse - which notoriously attacks Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* chicks.  They are also taking the opportunity to study other ACAP-listed species as they report below: "The last couple of months we have had the pleasure of working with Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* here on Gough Island.  Largest of the Procellariidae petrels, Southern Giant Petrels on the wing are easily confused with Northern Giant Petrels *M. halli*.  Adults of the two species are reliably distinguished by having different coloured bill tips; greenish for Southern and reddish for Northern. Giant petrels have a somewhat fearsome reputation, being large and very capable predators as well as scavengers of carrion.  They are frequently referred to as being quite an unattractive seabird, in part because of the massive bill, characteristic smell and somewhat hair-raising braying call.  Southern Giant Petrels on Gough nest colonially at three wet heath sites, with a few pairs also breeding on an east coast beach.  The colony we worked in, above the western cliffs of Gough, is separated into three distinct sub-colonies over quite a large area.  The surrounding vegetation is predominantly tall bog ferns *Blechnum palmiforme*and large *Spartina arundinacea*tussocks, with giant petrel nests scattered throughout. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/gp chick1.jpg "A Southern Giant Petrel half-broods its downy chick on Gough Island. Photograph by Graham Parker/Kalinka Rexer-Huber") Our work was to assist in establishing a new long-term study at the most accessible colony.  We did a thorough count of incubating birds, returned to count nestlings shortly after hatching, then returned again to band all the chicks.  Many of the parents were still brooding when we banded the downy chicks.  Although our presence in the colony certainly caused some comment among both nesting and loafing birds, we were very surprised at the lack of aggression from brooding parents when we banded their chicks.  We initially put on leather gloves and prepared ourselves for some not insignificant nips from the large and strong bills of the giant petrel parents.  However, we soon found that we could safely pull a chick leg out from under the pile of down and feathers and quickly band it under its parent without gloves.  Most brooding birds simply watched the process, their eyes following us intently, while others took a more active role in nibbling gently at our hands.  The chicks were often less relaxed than their parents - a few defended themselves with squeaky braying calls and by regurgitating stomach oil onto us.  Fortunately though not too many of the chicks wasted their valuable calories in this way." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/graham_parker_banding_sgp.jpg "Graham Parker bands a Southern Giant Petrel chick on Gough - as its confiding parent watches. Photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber") In September 2010 when the annual relief of the island's South African weather station takes place it is intended to commence colour-banding the adults and staking each nest.  Kalinka and Graham's welcome efforts have meant the planned new demographic study is getting a good head start.  It is significant that the Southern Giant Petrels of Gough are so amenable to study in this way.  This is not the case at many, if not most, other breeding sites. Graham's and Kalinka's research on Gough is managed by the [Royal Society for the Protection of Birds](http://www.rspb.org.uk/), funded by the UK's [Overseas Territories Environment Programme](http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/index.htm), supported logistically by the South African [Department of Environmental Affairs](http://www.deat.gov.za/) and conducted under permit from the  [Conservation Department](http://tristan-da-cunha.com/) of Tristan da Cunha. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/southern-giant-petrels-doing-well-on-gough-island) for an earlier ACAP news item on Gough's giant petrels. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer and Graham Parker & Kalinka Rexer-Huber, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 6 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/news-from-the-field-working-with-southern-giant-petrels-on-gough-island.md) ## SEAFO strengthens its seabird conservation measure to include bycatch in trawl gear South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation's ([SEAFO](http://www.seafo.org/)) Scientific Committee at its 5th Annual Meeting held on 30 September - 2 October 2009 in Swakopmund, Namibia recommended that the current ***Conservation Measure 05/06: On Reducing Incidental By-catch of Seabirds in the SEAFO Convention Area***be revised. [Click here](http://www.seafo.org/Cons%20&%20Mngt%20Measures/2006%20conservation%20measures/conservation%20measure%2005_06.pdf) for the 2006 version of the measure, which addresses only longlining. In the light of the latest CCAMLR regulations and information and following advice provided by BirdLife International, the measure was expanded to cover seabird losses in trawl fisheries, following the recent recognition that birds colliding with warp lines can be a significant problem.  It was noted that mitigation measures had been applied in South African trawl fisheries as well as in the CCAMLR area. SEAFO's Commission, meeting over 5-8 October 2009, adopted the revised Conservation Measure on reducing incidental by-catch of seabirds, as recommended by its Scientific Committee.  The additional text as it relates to trawling is given below.  The complete text of revised Conservation Measure 05/06 may be found on pages 47-51 of the Report of the 6th Annual Meeting of the Commission ([click here](http://www.seafo.org/The%20Commission/Commission%20Report%202009.pdf)). **"Trawl gear** 10.  A streamer (or tori) line shall be deployed outside of both warp cables, the tori lines shall be attached to the stern at the maximum practical height above water line.  Back-up tori lines shall be carried by all vessels and be ready for immediate use.  Technical specifications for tori lines are given in Appendix B. 11.  The dumping of offal is prohibited while gear is being shot or set.  The dumping of offal during the hauling of gear shall be avoided. 12.  Nets shall be cleaned prior to shooting to remove items that might attract seabirds. 13.  Vessels shall adopt shooting and hauling procedures that minimise the time that the net is lying on the surface with the meshes slack.  Net maintenance shall, to the extent possible, not be carried out with the net in the water. 14.  Each Contracting Party shall encourage their vessels to develop gear configurations that will minimise the chance of birds encountering the part of the net to which they are most vulnerable.  This could include increasing the weighting or decreasing the buoyancy of the net so that it sinks faster, or placing coloured streamer or other devices over particular areas of the net where the mesh sizes create a particular danger to birds." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-browed Albatross following boat by Graham Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses accumulate behind a trawler in the South Atlantic. Photograph by Graham Robertson") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 January 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/seafo-strengthens-its-conservation-measure-to-include-bycatch-of-seabirds-in-trawl-gear.md) ## South African research on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels in 2009 South African research on ACAP-listed species is primarily carried out at two island groups, South Africa's Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean and the United Kingdom's Tristan da Cunha Group in the South Atlantic.  At the former research activities are concentrated on Marion Island, at the latter on Gough and Inaccessible Islands, in conjunction with partners at the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ([RSPB](http://www.rspb.org.uk/)) and Tristan's Conservation Department ([TCD](http://www.rspb.org.uk/)).  Research is also carried out on ACAP species at sea, both off South Africa and in the Southern Ocean south of the continent.  There are two main research centres, the [FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/) at the University of Cape Town, and the Marine and Coastal Development Branch of the [Department of Environmental Affairs](http://www.deat.gov.za).  The former body concentrates on conducting research and teaching post-graduate students, whereas the latter fulfils South Africa's commitments to both ACAP and [CCAMLR](http://www.ccamlr.org) by conducting annual monitoring of seabirds at Marion Island.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Atlantic_Yellow_nosed_Albatross2_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Photograph by Peter Ryan") A total of five long-term demographic studies is being conducted on ACAP-listed species, with a sixth (on [Southern Giant Petrels](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/news-from-the-field-working-with-southern-giant-petrels-on-gough-island)* Macronectes giganteus*on Gough Island) set to start in 2010.  The established studies are on Wandering *Diomedea exulans* and Grey-headed *Thalassarche chrysostoma* Albatrosses and Northern Giant Petrels *M. halli* at Marion Island, and [Tristan](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tristan-albatrosses-have-another-poor-breeding-year) *D. dabbenena* and [Atlantic Yellow-nosed](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-study-on-gough-island-goes-into-its-27th-year) *T. chlororhynchos*Albatrosses at Gough.  The oldest of these studies, on Marion's Wanderers, has now been running for three decades. Research on ACAP-listed burrowing petrels includes recent censuses of [White-chinned Petrels](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/how-many-white-chinned-petrels-are-out-there) *Procellaria aequinoctialis* at the Prince Edwards and of [Spectacled Petrels](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/successfully-counting-spectacled-petrels-inaccessible-island-expedition-returns-to-cape-town) *P. conspicillata* at Inaccessible.  Genetics work has also been carried out on these two petrels, confirming their specific status.  A limited amount of work is being conducted on winter-breeding Grey Petrels *P. cinerea* at [Marion](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/grey-petrels-being-tracked-at-sea-by-south-african-scientists) (where they are rare) and at [Gough](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/multi-national-expedition-sails-to-study-acap-species-in-the-mid-atlantic) (where they may be at risk to introduced mice). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan2.jpg "Grey Petrel at Marion Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan")  Research on ACAP-listed species at Marion Island has also been undertaken by the [Animal Demography Unit](http://adu.org.za/), Department of Zoology at the University of Cape Town, most recently on the effects of human disturbance ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/wandering-albatrosses-how-close-should-you-get)).  **South African  scientific and popular publications on ACAP-listed species in 2009** Angel, A, Wanless, R.M. & Cooper, J. 2009.  Review of impacts of the introduced House Mouse on islands in the Southern Ocean: are mice equivalent to rats?  *Biological Invasions* 11: 1743-1754. Cooper, J. 2009.  Foreword.  In: James, N.  *Allie makes a Difference.*  Wynberg: Don Nelson.  p. 8. Cooper, J., Bester, M.N., Chown, S.L., Crawford, R.J.M., Daly, R., Heyns, E., Lamont, T., Ryan, P.G. & Shaw, J.D. 2009.  Biological survey of the Prince Edward Islands, December 2008.  *South African Journal of Science*105: 317-320. Cooper, J., Cuthbert, R. & Glass, T. 2009. Plight of the albatross.  *Tristan da Cunha Newsletter* 44: 24-25. Cooper, J., Morgan, K.H. & Tasker, M.L. 2009.  Listing North Pacific albatrosses within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  *Marine Ornithology*37. Jones, M.G.W. & Ryan, P.G. 2009.  Evidence of mouse attacks on albatross chicks on sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  *Antarctic Science  *doi:10.1017/S0954102009990459*.* Oosthuizen, W.C., Dyer, B.M. & de Bruyn, P.J.N. 2009.  Vagrant birds ashore at the Prince Edward Islands, southern Indian Ocean, from 1987 to 2009.*  African Journal of Marine Science*31: 445-450. Petersen. SL., Honig, M.B., Ryan, P.G. & Underhill, L.G. 2009.  Seabird bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery off southern Africa.  *African Journal of Marine Science*. 31: 191-204. Petersen, S.L., Honig, M.B., Ryan, P.G., Underhill, L.G. & Goren, M. 2009.  Seabird bycatch in the demersal longline fishery off southern Africa.  *African Journal of Marine Science*. 31: 205-214. Ryan, P.[G.] 2009.  The seabirds of the Conrad Rise, Southern Ocean.  *Bulletin of the African Bird Club* 16: 67-77. Ryan, P.G. 2009.  The world of birds: sixth albatross species breeding on Prince Edward Island.  *Africa Birds & Birding* 14(2): 14. Ryan, P.G. 2009.  Seabird conservation: sign of the times for Tristan Albatrosses.  A*frica Birds & Birding* 14: 12. Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W., Dyer, B.M., L Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M.*2009.** *Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels breeding at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands* African Journal of Marine Science* **31**: 409-417. Techow, N.M.S.M.. O'Ryan, C., Phillips, R.A., Gales, R., Marin, M., Patterson-Fraser, D., Quintana, F., Ritz, M.S., Thompson, D.R., Wanless, R.M., Weimerskirch, H. & Ryan P.G. 2009.  Speciation and phylogeography of giant petrels *Macronectes.* *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution*  [doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.09.005](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.09.005). Techow, N.M.S.M., Ryan, P.G. & O'Ryan, C. 2009.  Phylogeography and taxonomy of White-chinned and Spectacled Petrels.  *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution* 52: 25-33. Visser, P., Louw, H., Cuthbert, R. & Ryan, P.[G.] 2009.  Salvin's Albatross *Thalassarche salvini*on Gough Island, South Atlantic.  *Bulletin of the African Bird Club* 16: 215-216. Wanless, R.[M.] 2009.  BirdLife's Albatross Task Force - incentives to reduce seabird bycatch in South African Fisheries. *Bycatch Communication Network Newsletter* 12: 2-3. Wanless, R.M., Ryan, P.G., Altwegg, R., Angel, A., Cooper, J., Cuthbert, R. & Hilton, G.M. 2009.  From both sides: dire demographic consequences of carnivorous mice and longlining for the critical endangered Tristan Albatrosses on Gough Island.  *Biological Conservation*142: 1710-1718. Wheeler, M., de Villiers, M.S. & Majiedt, P.A. 2009.  The effect of frequency and nature of pedestrian approaches on the behaviour of Wandering Albatrosses at sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  *Polar Biology* 32: 197-205.  For earlier publications on ACAP-listed species by the FitzPatrick Institute go to [http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/docs/publist.html](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/docs/publist.html).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, Rob Crawford, Marine and Coastal Management, Department of Environmental Affairs and Peter Ryan, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, 7 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/south-african-research-on-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels-in-2009.md) ## Automated cameras are watching Southern Giant Petrels in Antarctica this summer The Australian Antarctic Division ([AAD](http://www.aad.gov.au/)) has this summer set up two automatic cameras on Hawker Island, an Antarctic Specially Protected Area ([No. 167](http://www.env.go.jp/earth/nankyoku/db/jyouyaku/aspa/aspa_pdf_en/167.pdf)) in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, to monitor the breeding activity of a colony of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*.  Hawker Island is near the Australian base Davis. This news is announced in an article by Ian Hay, the AAD's Senior Policy Officer (and Australia's National Contact person for ACAP) in the latest edition of the *[Australian Antarctic Magazine](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=36941)*, which is available both on-line and in hard copy Because the Hawker Island colony is small (probably less than 20 pairs; Patterson *et al.* 2008, Wienecke *et al*. 2009) it is thought that the two cameras will be able to capture all that goes on.  Success will be ascertained once the cameras are retrieved this April - after the breeding season is over.  The cameras have been installed as a test, because of the difficulty of regular access to the breeding site and also the desire to reduce human disturbance to this generally sensitive species. If found to be successful, cameras may be established at two other giant petrel colonies on Frazier and Giganteus Islands in East Antarctica. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_flying_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Warwick Barnes") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/southern-giant-petrels-in-east-antarctica-stable-populations) for a related news item. **References:** Hay, I. 2009. Cameras to spy on petrels. *Australian Antarctic Magazine* 17: 23.  [http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=37010](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=37010) Patterson, D.L., Woehler, E.J., Croxall, J.P., Cooper, J., Poncet, S., Peter, H.-U., Hunter, S. & Fraser, W.R. 2008.  Breeding distribution and population status of the Northern Giant Petrel *Macronectes halli*and Southern Giant Petrel *M. giganteus. Marine Ornithology*36: 115-124.  [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf) Wienecke, B., Leaper, R., Hay, I. & van den Hoff, J. 2009.  Retrofitting historical data in population studies:  Southern Giant Petrels in the Australian Antarctic Territory.  *Endangered Species Research* 8: 157-164.  [http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2009/8/n008p157.pdf](http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2009/8/n008p157.pdf) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 8 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/automated-cameras-are-watching-southern-giant-petrels-in-antarctica-this-summer.md) ## Australia upgrades national status of the Grey-headed Albatross from Vulnerable to Endangered On 24 December 2009, the Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, transferred the Grey-headed Albatross *Thalassarche chrysostoma* from the national category of Vulnerable to Endangered in terms of Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. In 2007, 94 breeding pairs were reported for the [Macquarie Island World Heritage Area,](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=394) Australia's only breeding site for the species.  The small colony is at increasing risk from erosion  caused by the large rabbit population, and this was the primary reason for the recategorization.  The attempt at the eradication of rabbits (and rodents) commences this year on Macquarie ([click here](http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/protecting/pubs/macquarie-rabbit-eradication-plan.pdf) for the eradication plan). See also [http://www.tnpa.asn.au/macquarie/index.html](http://www.tnpa.asn.au/macquarie/index.html). [Click here](http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/66491-listing-advice.pdf) for the full rationale for the upgrading and [here](http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66491) for the Australian species profile for the Grey-headed Albatross.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/G/Grey-headed Albatross pair with chick by Rowan Treblico.JPG "Grey-headed Albatrosses at Macquarie Island. Photograph by Rowan Treblico") The international status of the Grey-headed Albatross remains as [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3964&m=0).  The world population is given as 96 000 breeding pairs in the ACAP Species Assessment [(click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)), of which less than 1% breed within Australian territory.  Australia's  "National Recovery Plan for Threatened Albatrosses and Giant Petrels 2009-2014" is in a draft stage and will set out in detail the conservation actions required for the Grey-headed Albatross, as well as for the other ACAP-listed species that occur within Australia.  [Click here](http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/albatross/index.html) for the current recovery plan for the nominal period 2001-2005.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 9 January 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/australia-upgrades-national-status-of-the-grey-headed-albatross-from-vulnerable-to-endangered.md) ## Westland Petrels moult in numbers off the Pacific coast of South America  Writing in *[Notornis](http://www.notornis.org.nz/)*, journal of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, P.A. Fraser reports sighting over 1200 Westland Petrels *Procellaria westlandica*, many in primary moult, in November 2005 among the fjords and channels of southern Chile.  With the annual breeding population of this New Zealand winter-breeding endemic estimated as 4000 pairs in 2008 (see the [ACAP Species Assessment](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)), and an earlier assessment of the population visiting South America as of the order of 3500 birds in the austral spring (Spear *et al*. 2005) it is clear that Chilean waters are now confirmed as being important for the species (see also Brinkley *et al*. 2000 for historical South American records). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/Westland_Petrel_by_Barry_Baker.jpg "Westland Petrel at sea. Photograph by Barry Baker")  Conservation of the Westland Petrel thus requires efforts both by New Zealand, on its breeding grounds, and Chile, primary site of its non-breeding distribution.  **References:**  Brinkley, E.S., Howell, S.N G., Force, M.P., Spear, L.B. & Ainley, D.C. 2000.  Status of the Westland Petrel (*Procellaria westlandica*) off South America.  *Notornis* 47: 179-183.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_47-2000/Notornis_47_4_179.pdf](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_47-2000/Notornis_47_4_179.pdf) Fraser, P.A. 2009.  Westland Petrels (*Procellaria westlandica*) off the coast of Chile.  *Notornis* 56: 98-99.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/contents.php?volume_issue=n56_2](http://www.notornis.org.nz/contents.php?volume_issue=n56_2) Spear, L.B., Ainley, D.G. & Webb, S.W. 2005.  Distribution, abundance, habitat use and behaviour of three *Procellaria* petrels off south America.  *Notornis* 52: 88-105.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_52-2005/Notornis_52_2_88.pdf](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_52-2005/Notornis_52_2_88.pdf)  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 January 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/westland-petrels-moult-in-numbers-off-the-pacific-coast-of-south-america.md) ## A photo gallery of vagrant Thalassarche albatrosses UPDATED Individual "mollymawk" albatrosses of the genus *Thalassarche* are occasionally recorded ashore, and even attempting to breed, within colonies of species of the same genus outside their normal breeding ranges ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/vagrant-mollymawk-albatrosses-attempt-to-breed-outside-their-normal-ranges) for a review).  Here is a photo gallery of six of these vagrant mollies, with thanks to the photographers. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/blackbrow_ships_cove_marion_oct2008_by_linda_clokie.jpg "Vagrant Black-browed Albatross ashore at Ship's Cove, Marion Island. Photograph by Linda Clokie") ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/salvins_albatross_gonzalo_island_by_javier_arata.jpg "Salvin's Albatross on Gonzalo Island, Diego Ramirez Islands, 23 November 2001. Photograph by Javier Arata") ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/white-capped_albatross_incubating_bird_island_by_richard_phillips.jpg) Male White-capped Albatross incubating on Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur).  The bird is partnered with a Black-browed Albatross.  Photograph by Richard Phillips ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/salvins_albatross_gough_island_by_paul_visser.jpg) Salvin's Albatross next to an incubating Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross on Gough Island.  Photograph by Paul Visser  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/shy_type_albatross_on_egg_prince_edward_island_by_peter_ryan.jpg "The incubating ") Incubating "shy-type" albatross *Thalassarche cauta/steadi* on Prince Edward Island with Grey-headed Albatrosses in the background. Partner unknown. Photograph by Peter Ryan ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/shy_type_albatross_head_prince_edward_island_by_peter_ryan.jpg "The ") The Prince Edward Island "shy-type" albatross.  Photograph by Peter Ryan **![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/blackbrow_closeup_marion_by_genevieve_jones.jpg "The breeding Black-browed Albatross of Marion Island. Photograph by Genevieve Jones")** **![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/blackbrow_among_greyheads_marion_by_genevieve_jones.jpg "The Marion Island Black-browed Albatross, incubating among Grey-headed Albatrosses. Photograph by Genevieve Jones")** **![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/blackbrow_incubating_marion_by_genevive_jones.jpg "Incubating Black-browed Albatross on Marion Island. Photograph by Genevieve Jones")** **References:**  Arata, J. 2003.  New record of Salvin's Albatross (*Thalassarche salvini*) at the Diego Ramirez Islands, Chile.  *Notornis* 50: 169-171. Oosthuizen, W.C., Dyer, B.M. & de Bruyn, P.J.N. 2009.  Vagrant birds ashore at the Prince Edward Islands, southern Indian Ocean, from 1987 to 2009.  *African Journal of Marine Science*31: 445-450. Phalan, B., Phillips, R.A. & Double, M.C. 2004.  A White-capped Albatross, *Thalassarche [cauta] steadi*, at South Georgia: first confirmed record in the south-western Atlantic.  *Emu* 104: 359-361. Ryan, P.[G]. 2009.  The world of birds.  Sixth albatross species breeding on Prince Edward Island.  *Africa Birds & Birding* 14(2): 14. Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W., Dyer, B.M., Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M.2009.  Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels breeding at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. * African Journal of Marine Science* 31: 409-417. Visser, P., Louw, H., Cuthbert, R.[J.] & Ryan, P.[G.] 2009.  Salvin's Albatross *Thalassarche salvini* on Gough Island, South Atlantic.  *Bulletin of the African Bird Club* 16: 215-216.  *Photographs by Javier Arata, Instituto Antartico Chileno; Richard Phillips, British Antarctic Survey; Genevieve Jones and Peter Ryan, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town; and Paul Visser, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,  UPDATED 20 April 2010.* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/a-photo-gallery-of-vagrant-thalassarche-albatrosses.md) ## New genetics study supports 24 taxa of albatrosses A phylogenetic study of the World's albatrosses has been published in the New Zealand journal *[Notornis](http://www.notornis.org.nz)*.  The study, conducted by Geoffrey Chambers of the Victoria University of Wellington and three colleagues, looked at full length miotochondrial cytochrome *b*data for 24 taxa of albatrosses. The findings of their study support the recognition of 22 species of albatrosses, with two subspecies for Antipodean Albatross *Diomedea antipodensis* and Buller's Albatross *Thalassarche bulleri*.  Essentially, this follows the treatment followed by ACAP on the advice of its Advisory Committee's Taxonomic Working Group ([TWG](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/working-groups/taxonomy-working-group/view-category)), including of the "shy-type" mollymawk albatrosses as being made up of four species. Their paper considers two "remaining enigmatic taxa require examination" to ascertain whether they should be recognized, as either subspecies or even as full species.  These are the Black-browed Albatrosses *T. melanophris* of The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and an isolated Japanese population of Black-footed Albatrosses *Phoebastria nigripes*.  Tasks for the TWG? ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Southern_royal Albatross by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Southern Royal Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") **Reference:** Chambers, G.C., Moeke, C, Steel, R. & Trueman, J.W.H. 2009.  Phylogenetic analysis of the 24 named albatross taxa based on full mitochondrial cytochrome *b* DNA sequences.  *Notornis* 56: 82-94.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/abstract.php?volume_issue=n56_2&first_page=82](http://www.notornis.org.nz/abstract.php?volume_issue=n56_2&first_page=82) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-genetics-study-supports-24-taxa-of-albatrosses.md) ## Assessing survival of the biennially-breeding Grey-headed Albatrosses of Marion Island Biennially-breeding albatrosses skip breeding years which violates assumptions of the usually-used methods of mark-recapture modelling, leading to incorrect annual survival figures. In a paper published in 2009 in the ornithological journal *Auk*, the problem is addressed by Sarah Converse of the Wildlife Research Center in Patuxent, Maryland, USA and three colleagues.  Data collected at a Grey-headed Albatross *Thalassarche chrysostoma* study colony at South Africa's Marion Island over the period 1996 to 2006 is used to test new types of multistate models.  The study found that annual survival probability for Marion's Grey-heads was 0.951 ± 0.0006 and recommends use of multistate modelling for species that skip breeding ("exhibit temporary emigration"). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/G/Grey-headed Albatross by Rowan Treblico.jpg "Grey-headed Albatrosses. Photograph by Rowan Treblico")  **Reference:**  Converse, S.J., Kendall, W.L., Doherty Jr, P.F. & Ryan, P.G. 2009.  Multistate models for estimation of survival and reproduction in the Grey-headed Albatross (*Thalassarche chrysostoma*).  *The Auk* 126: 77-88.  [http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/auk.2009.07189](http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/auk.2009.07189)  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 January 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/assessing-survival-of-the-biennially-breeding-grey-headed-albatrosses-of-marion-island.md) ## First World Seabird Conference: abstract submission date extended The deadline for submitting abstracts to the First World Seabird Conference has been extended to 5 March 2010. Please also note the following additional revised deadlines: Travel Awards Applications:  5 March 2010 Early Bird Registrations:  31 May 2010 All submitters/applicants will be notified in time to take advantage of the Early Bird registration fees.  Conference rates are available on the conference web site. Conference Secretariat: De Armond Management Ltd 2661 Queenswood Drive, Victoria British Columbia V8N 1X6 Canada [wsc@dearmondmanagement.com](mailto:wsc@dearmondmanagement.com) [www.WorldSeabirdConference.com](http://www.worldseabirdconference.com/) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-footed Albatross by James Lloyd.jpg "Black-footed Albatrosses. Photograph by James Lloyd") *16 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/first-world-seabird-conference-abstract-submission-date-extended.md) ## Getting the wind up: why are there more albatross and petrel species in the southern hemisphere? There are far more species of albatrosses and petrels of the order Procellariiformes in the southern hemisphere than in the north.  This holds true for ACAP-listed species, with only three of the 29 listed albatrosses and petrels occurring in the northern hemisphere. A recently published paper in the journal *[Global Ecology and Biogeography](http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1466-822X)* addresses this observation by adding wind to other forms of environmental energy resources (e.g. those derived from temperature and primary productivity) and of ocean extent to consider the large-scale distribution of procellariiform species richness. The paper, authored by Richard Davies of the UK's University of East Anglia, along with colleagues in South Africa and the UK, concludes that wind energy is a significant factor, probably related to the long-distance foraging for patchy resources undertaken by albatrosses and petrels, including when breeding.   In relation to ACAP's efforts to enhance the conservation of listed species, the following quote from the paper appears of interest:  "Concerns over the consequences of global climate change for the survival of procellariiform species have included the issues of sea level rise and other ecological changes affecting island breeding populations, and of changes in sea temperature causing shifts in the proximity of marine resources.  This study suggests the potential changes to large-scale wind currents may be a further global climate change issue of relevance to the future distribution of pelagic seabirds."  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Luke_Finley.jpg "A long-distance forager: the Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Luke Finley") **Reference:**  Davies, R.G., Irlich, U.M., Chown, S.L. & Gaston, K.J. 2010.  Ambient, productive and wind energy, and ocean extent predict global species richness of procellariiform seabirds.  *Global Ecology and Biogeography*19: 98-110.  [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123188063/abstract](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123188063/abstract).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/getting-the-wind-up-why-are-there-more-albatross-and-petrel-species-in-the-southern-hemisphere.md) ## Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses ashore at South Africa's Marion Island UPDATED At South Africa's Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses *Thalassarche carteri* breed only on the smaller island of Prince Edward, and not on the larger Marion Island.  The 2008/09 breeding population has been estimated as 7000 pairs (Ryan *et al*. 2009).   Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses have been occasionally seen ashore on Marion over the years, but have generally gone unreported in the literature, although a BxW photograph of an adult "visiting Ship's Cove" on Marion Island appears in van Zinderen Bakker *et al*. (1971).  Two more recent records are given here.   On 15 April 2005 a juvenile bird was photographed on Long Beach, King Penguin Bay in the north-east of the island.  Given the time of year it is thought likely the bird had recently fledged from the colony on Prince Edward Island, 27 km away. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/I/indian_yellow_nosed_albatross_marion_island_by_nico_de_bruyn.jpg "A juvenile Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross ashore on Marion Island, 15 April 2005. Photograph by Nico de Bruyn")   The second record is of an adult bird, photographed on 15 October 2007 on the northern edge of Long Ridge between Sea Elephant and Blue Petrel Bays.  This locality is also in the north-eastern region of the island, facing Prince Edward Island.  At this time of the year, the species would be incubating eggs on Prince Edward Island. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/I/indian_yellow_nosed_albatross_marion_island_by_chris_oosthuizen.jpg)  Adult Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross on Marion Island, 15 October 2007.  Photograph by Chris Oosthuizen A single pair of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses was recorded breeding on the Pyramid, Chatham Islands, New Zealand from 1998 to 2003 (Miskelly *et al*. 2006), extending its breeding range outside the Indian Ocean, where it also breeds on several French islands.  It remains to be seen whether the species will ever commence breeding at Marion Island.     [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species ) to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross.   **References:** ** ** Miskelly, C.M., Bester, A.J. & Bell, M. 2006.  Additions to the Chatham Islands' bird list, with further records of vagrant and colonising bird species.  *Notornis* 53: 215-230.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_53-2006/Notornis_53_2_215.pdf](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_53-2006/Notornis_53_2_215.pdf)   Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W., Dyer, B.M., Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M. 2009.  Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels breeding at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands.  *African Journal of Marine Science* 31: 409-417.  [http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=3305](http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=3305). Van Zinderen Bakker Sr, E.M., Winterbottom, J.M. & Dyer, R.A. (Eds) 1971. *Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Report on the South African Biological and Geological Expedition / 1965-1966*.  Cape Town: A.A. Balkema.  * * *John Cooper ACAP Information Officer and Nico de Bruyn & Chris Oosthuizen, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, 19 January 2009, updated 31 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/indian-yellow-nosed-albatrosses-ashore-at-south-africas-marion-island.md) ## International Polar Year Conference: abstract deadline this week The International Polar Year Oslo Science Conference will be held over 8-12 June 2010 in Oslo Norway. The deadline for abstracts is 20 January 2010. Go to:  [http://www.ipy-osc.no/](http://www.ipy-osc.no/)     "The IPY Oslo Science Conference will gather the full polar community to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of International Polar Year 2007-2008, to display and explore the richness of IPY data, and to chart future directions for polar and global science." Abstracts are invited for oral and poster presentation within the following main themes of the conference programme: Linkages between Polar Regions and global systems - Past, present and future changes in Polar Regions - Polar ecosystems and biodiversity - Human dimensions of change: health, society and resources - New frontiers, data practices, and directions in polar research - Polar science education, outreach and communication *![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern Giant Petrel by Rowan Treblico.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel: the only ACAP-listed species that breeds on the Antarctic Continent. Photograph by Rowan Treblico")* *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/international-polar-year-conference-abstract-deadline-this-week.md) ## South Africa starts a Seabirds at Sea Atlas and data mines a storeroom of "ten-minute cards" In the early 1980s and less regularly ever since then marine ornithologists (including the ACAP Information Officer) involved with the [South African National Antarctic Programme](http://www.sanap.org.za/)  filled in many "10-minute cards" of quantitative seabird observations while travelling on Antarctic supply and research vessels in the Southern Ocean south of Africa.   The data set resulted in the awarding of two higher degrees (Andy Griffiths, MSc 1982 and Ron Abrams, PhD 1985) and a number of scientific papers, but for the last two decades or so the cards have been gathering dust in a storeroom at the [FitzPatrick Institute](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/index.html), University of Cape Town.  One obvious use of the cards is to produce a distribution atlas but until now the large task has not been attempted. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "One of the ACAP-listed species to be mapped: a Wandering Albatross at sea. Photograph by Warwick Barnes")   A grant has now been obtained from the [South African Biodiversity Information Facility](http://www.sabif.ac.za/) to capture digitally this valuable historical data set and add it to AS@S, the Atlas of Seabirds at Sea. [AS@S](http://seabirds.adu.org.za)[http://seabirds.adu.org.za](http://seabirds.adu.org.za) was launched on 16 October 2009 at the "[Save Our Seabirds Festival](http://www.birdlife.org.za/page/5974/save_our_seabirds_festival_2009)"  of [BirdLife South Africa's Seabird Division](http://www.birdlife.org.za/page/5594/seabird_division), as a joint initiative of [BirdLife South Africa](http://www.birdlife.org.za/page/54/home), the [Animal Demography Unit](http://adu.org.za/), University of Cape Town, and the [South African National Biodiversity Institute](http://www.sanbi.org/).   The data, once analysed, will yield important historical information on the at-sea distribution of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels (and other seabirds) south of Africa, as well as within southern African continental waters.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/south-africa-starts-a-seabirds-at-sea-atlas-and-data-mines-a-storeroom-of-qten-minute-cardsq.md) ## Renewed concern expressed about the mortality of European seabirds from fishing activities A renewed call ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/01/seabird_petition.html)) is being made to reduce the mortality of seabirds from fishing activities in European waters.  It is being suggested once more that the European Union via its European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries develops and adopts a EU Seabird Plan of Action, following the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization's best practice guidelines ([http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en)).   Seabird species considered at risk include the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, the Near Threatened Yelkouan Shearwater *P. yelkouan* and Cory's Shearwater *Calonectris diomedea**, all of which breed on islands within the Mediterranean.  Although not ACAP-listed species, these three shearwaters have been identified as potential candidates for inclusion within the Agreement ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)).*   The proposed EU plan could also address the impacts of Europe's distant-water fishing fleets in the southern hemisphere - where ACAP-listed species occur.   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/calls-to-protect-mediterranean-shearwaters-from-longline-mortality) for an earlier ACAP news item on calls to protect Mediterranean shearwaters from longline mortality.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/safe_leads_acap_by_graham_robertson.jpg "Safe leads: an innovative way to address seabird mortality by longliners. Photograph by Graham Robertson")   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, posted 23 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/renewed-concern-expressed-about-the-mortality-of-european-seabirds-from-fishing-activities.md) ## Peru gives the threatened Waved Albatross a helping hand by proclaiming a coastal reserve network In a significant development for the Critically Endangered Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata*, Peru, a Party to ACAP, has established a network of coastal reserves to protect its famous "guano islands" and their surrounding waters.   The "Reserva Nacional Sistema de Islas, Islotes y Puntas Guaneras" (literally the Guano Island, Islet and Peninsula National Reserve System) was established by Decree of Alan García Pérez, Presidente Constitucional de la República ([Decreto Supremo No. 024-2009-MINAM](http://spij.minjus.gob.pe/normas/textos/010110T.pdf)).   The decree adds 22 guano islands and islets and 11 mainland peninsulas (with a total area of 140 833 ha) and their adjacent waters out to two nautical miles along Peru's Pacific coast to the country's national system of protected areas.  The new guano islands reserve network supports breeding colonies of up to millions of seabirds, including the Endangered Peruvian Diving Petrel *Pelecanoides garnotii*, (a potential ACAP candidate species, [click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)) and the Vulnerable Humboldt Penguin *Spheniscus humboldti*.   In addition, the productive inshore upwelling waters off Peru, some of which will now be protected within the new reserve system, support a large part of the non-breeding population of the ACAP-listed Waved Albatross, which travels from its breeding grounds in the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands to the coasts of Ecuador and northern Peru.   Regulations for fishing activities within the marine component of the new reserve network are still to be developed within a comprehensive management plan, but may extend to prohibitions or controls over the use of nets, longlines and hand-held hooks and lines.  Waved Albatrosses are at risk from these fisheries, both from accidental bycatch and their intentional capture for human consumption.      ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved_Albatross_flying_by_Barry_Baker.jpg "Waved Albatross. Photograph by Barry Baker") For recent reports on the problem of fishery-induced mortality of Waved Albatrosses in Peruvian waters (and comprehensive reference lists) visit the following:   [http://www.apeco.org.pe/web/pdfs/reportealbatros.pdf](http://www.apeco.org.pe/web/pdfs/reportealbatros.pdf) [http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2008/5/n005p185.pdf](http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2008/5/n005p185.pdf) [http://www.iattc.org/PDFFiles2/WAAL-document-IATTC-May-2009-v3.pdf](http://www.iattc.org/PDFFiles2/WAAL-document-IATTC-May-2009-v3.pdf)   See also:   *Ecuador - Peru - ACAP Advisory Committee 2008.  **Plan of Action for the Waved Albatross**(**Phoebastria irrorata**).  **[ACAP AC4 Doc. 50 rev. 4](https://www.acap.aq/en/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=84&Itemid=33).  30 pp.*   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Waved Albatross.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, with Jessica Hardesty, American Bird Conservancy, Kate Huyvaert, Colorado State University and Patricia Majluf, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.**  26 January 2010.* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/peru-gives-the-threatened-waved-albatross-a-helping-hand-by-proclaiming-a-coastal-reserve-network.md) ## Risks faced by the Short-tailed Albatross: are catastrophic or chronic events more harmful? The larger part of the relict population of the Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus* breeds on an active volcano (in geological terms).  It is thus considered to be at permanent risk from a catastrophic event, which in turn has led to efforts to create a new breeding population on a non-volcanic island ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/a-good-start-translocating-the-short-tailed-albatross-updated)).   But this albatross also faces threats of a more chronic nature, such as longline mortality and pollutants, less dramatic but also of serious concern.   In a paper published in the journal *Biological Conservation* this year, Myra Finkelstein of the University of California, Santa Cruz, USA and colleagues in Japan and the USA use a modelling approach to ascertain whether a volcanic eruption would be more injurious to population persistence than chronic threats.  They conclude that chronic threats are more serious, pointing out that a volcanic eruption should affect no more than half the breeding population, and that population recovery will follow -as it has in the past.  Recovery is due the species' wide-ranging foraging behaviour and high capacity for population growth as a presumed consequence of current high adult survival rates.   Modelling modest increases in mortality rates of juveniles and adults due to chronic threats (e.g. fisheries bycatch, contamination, disease) led to a substantially greater negative effect on population growth than did a catastrophic volcanic eruption.  The authors conclude that a second population is vital to Short-tailed Albatross population persistence, not because of the active volcano, but because many unforeseen future chronic threats (i.e. introduced predators, disease) may jeopardize the population at its current main breeding colony.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short-tailed_Albatrosses_by_Hiroshi_Hasegawa1.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross. Photograph by Hiroshi Hasegawa ")   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access ACAP's Species Assessment for the Short-tailed Albatross.   **Reference:**   Finkelstein, M.E., Wolf, S., Goldman, M., Doak, D.F., Sievert, P.R., Balogh, G. & Hasegawa, H. 2010.  The anatomy of a (potential) disaster: volcanoes, behaviour, and population viability of the Short-tailed Albatross (*Phoebastria albatrus*).  *Biological Conservation* 143: 321-331 ([click here](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-4XSV0N6-1&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2010&_rdoc=7&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235798%232010%23998569997%231591125%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5798&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=31&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4ff122676e62c0497be0c3435c938210)for abstract).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 January 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/risks-faced-by-the-short-tailed-albatross-are-catastrophic-or-chronic-events-more-harmful.md) ## The World Conservation Union makes the Wandering Albatross a "Red List Species of the Day" The [World Conservation Union](http://www.iucn.org/ ) produces and updates the IUCN [Red List of Threatened Species](http://www.iucnredlist.org/).  As part of its celebration of 2010 as the United Nations' [International Year of Biodiversity](http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/) IUCN has launched  **The "Red List Species of the Day" which will run throughout the year ([click here](http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/species-of-the-day)).**   The 365 species selected will represent the entire range of taxa and cover all regions, with each daily fact sheet providing information on the threats to their existence.  The Red Species chosen for 9 January 2010 was the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* ([click here](http://www.iucnredlist.org/sotdfiles/diomedea-exulans.pdf )), an ACAP-listed species with an IUCN category of threat of Vulnerable. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "An old male Wandering Albatross and post-brood chick on Marion Island. Photograph by John Cooper")   Interested readers can follow the IUCN Red List web site over the course of 2010 to see if any more ACAP-listed species appear as Red List Species of the Day.   [Click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3952&m=0 ) for BirdLife International's account for the species and [here ](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)for the ACAP Species Assessment of the Wandering Albatross.   See also [http://www.arkive.org/wandering-albatross/diomedea-exulans/](http://www.arkive.org/wandering-albatross/diomedea-exulans/).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-world-conservation-union-makes-the-wandering-albatross-a-qred-list-species-of-the-dayq.md) ## Malta tracks Mediterranean shearwaters: Cory's and Yelkouan The three species of Mediterranean-breeding shearwaters, Yelkouan *Puffinus yelkouan*, Balearic *P. mauretanicus* and Cory's *Calonectris diomedea*, have all been identified as potential candidates for listing within ACAP ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)).   [BirdLife Malta](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/) runs the [Yelkouan Shearwater Project](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/), one of Malta's largest conservation initiatives.  Malta has around 10% of the world population of the [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3937&m=0 ) Yelkouan Shearwater.  As part of this project, both Yelkouan and Cory's Shearwaters are being tracked at sea by satellites.   A fledging Cory's Shearwater has been tracked leaving the Mediterranean, travelling over 4500 km to the coast of Senegal ([click here](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/view.aspx?id=151)).  In contrast, tracked Yelkouan Shearwaters, also fledglings from Malta, stayed within the Mediterranean, travelling eastwards to the Aegean Sea in Greek and Turkish waters ([click here](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/view.aspx?id=147)).   Yelkouan Shearwaters, including breeding adults, have also been fitted with Global Positioning System and geolocator (GLS) loggers in Malta, showing that movements reach Egypt and Crete as well ([click here](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/view.aspx?id=129)).   For recent information on the [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30026&m=0 ) Balearic Shearwater [click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/calls-to-protect-mediterranean-shearwaters-from-longline-mortality).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/malta-tracks-mediterranean-shearwaters-corys-and-yelkouan.md) ## No. 10 responds to a petition to save Gough's Tristan Albatrosses from mice Petitioning the United Kingdom Government via its Prime Minister is a long tradition, now brought up-to-date by the use of an on-line facility. In 2009 Phil Bateman MBE e-petitioned No. 10: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make the appropriate arrangements to ensure that rare birds and animals in British Overseas Territories and British Protectorates receive enough financial resources to protect and enhance their survival."  The full text of the petition called attention to the serious plight of the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* of Gough Island in the South Atlantic (part of the UK Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) whose chicks are ravaged every winter by introduced House Mice. The UK Government's response to the petition, which received 983 signatures by closing date, was released on 22 January ([click here](http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22220)).  In it, attention is drawn to the funding already made available to investigate methods of eradicating the island's mice (work which is currently underway).  In addition the reply draws attention to activities taken to forward conservation measures for albatrosses and petrels and implement the UK's commitments in the South Atlantic under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. However, the reply says the UK Government is unable meet all the funding requirements to address biodiversity conservation challenges in its Overseas Territories.  As a consequence it has commissioned a report looking at potential additional funding sources for OT biodiversity conservation - such as saving the Tristan Albatross by eradicating Gough's killer mice. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_chick_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "Tristan Albatross chick being attacked at night by mice: it was dead the next morning. Photograph: Angel/Wanless") See also [http://www.ukotcf.org/news/recentItems.cfm](http://www.ukotcf.org/news/recentItems.cfm). Search on **Tristan Albatross** on this web site to read earlier news stories about the threats facing the [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30013&m=0) Tristan Albatross and progress attained so far towards enhancing its conservation status. The [ACAP Species Assessment](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) for the Tristan Albatross may be found on this web site. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/no-10-responds-to-a-petition-to-save-goughs-tristan-albatrosses-from-mice.md) ## First International Science Symposium on the Kerguelen Plateau to be held in France The **1st International Science Symposium****on the Kerguelen Plateau** in the southern Indian Ocean will be held in Concarneau, France from 14 to 16 April 2010 ([click here](http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/news/articles/symposium-KPlateau.pdf) for the conference programme and other details).   The following papers to be presented will be of interest to the Albatross and Petrel Agreement:   Barbraud C., C. Marteau, K. Delord & H. Weimerskirch - Demographic responses of White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* and Grey Petrels *P. cinerea* to climate and longline fishery by-catch.   Cotté C., K. Delord, C. Péron, C.-A. Bost, G. Duhamel, P. Pruvost, N. Gasco, A. Martin & H. Weimerskirch - Interactions between seabirds and fisheries in the French EEZs: implications for conservation and management.   Hindell, M., Gales, N., Lea, M.-A., Goldsworthy, S., Bost, C.-A., Guinet, C. &, Charassin, J.B.  Foraging habitats of top predators, and areas of ecological significance on the Kerguelen Plateau. *![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan1.jpg "Grey Petrel. Photograph by Peter Ryan")* * * *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 January 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/first-international-science-symposium-on-the-kerguelen-plateau-to-be-held-in-france.md) ## ACAP and World Wetlands Day: giving the albatross mires and sea cliffs an international status ACAP and World Wetlands Day: giving the albatross mires and sea cliffs an international status   World Wetlands Day, inaugurated in 1997, falls on 2 February each year.  This is the date in 1971 when the Convention on Wetlands was inaugurated in Ramsar, Iran.  This year's theme is *Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change*, with the slogan "Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change" ([click here](http://www.ramsar.org/cda/ramsar/display/main/main.jsp?zn=ramsar&cp=1-63-78^24106_4000_0__)).   The [Ramsar Convention on Wetlands](http://www.ramsar.org/cda/ramsar/display/main/main.jsp?zn=ramsar&cp=1^7715_4000_0__) is responsible for registering wetlands of international importance.  Several of these wetlands, which have a definition broad enough within the convention to include mires and sea cliffs, are to be found at islands and island groups in the Southern Ocean.   A list of such sites is available on the ACAP web site ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/management-plans/an-inventory-of-ramsar-sites-supporting-breeding-populations-of-acap-listed-species)).  Ramsar sites which contain breeding ACAP species may be found in the southern Indian Ocean (Amsterdam, Iles Crozet, Kerguelen, Prince Edward Islands and St Paul) and in the South Atlantic (Gough, Inaccessible and Sea Lion Islands).  Further, Australia is currently working towards registering Heard & McDonald and Macquarie with the Ramsar Convention. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/spectacled_petrel_inaccessible_island_by_peter_ryan.jpg "Spectacled Petrel on Inaccessible Island: a Ramsar site in the South Atlantic. Photograph by Peter Ryan")   See earlier news stories at:   [http://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/two-important-seabird-islands-for-acap-species-listed-as-ramsar-wetlands](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/two-important-seabird-islands-for-acap-species-listed-as-ramsar-wetlands)   and   [http://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/french-southern-ocean-islands-designated-a-wetland-of-international-importance](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/french-southern-ocean-islands-designated-a-wetland-of-international-importance)   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-and-world-wetlands-day-giving-the-albatross-mires-and-sea-cliffs-an-international-status.md) ## Salvin's Albatrosses on Kerguelen and Penguin Island, Crozets Albatrosses of the genus *Thalassarche* regularly turn up as vagrants in breeding colonies of conspecifics, where they may display, build nests and sometimes lay eggs with a partner of another species   In the second half of the 1990s a vagrant Salvin's Albatross *T. salvini* was present among a mixed colony of Black-browed Albatrosses *T. melanophris* and Macaroni Penguins *Eudyptes chrysolophus* at Cañon des Sourcils Noirs, Presqu'ile Jeanne d'Arc in the south-east of France's Kerguelen Island in the southern Indian Ocean.   The bird was observed over at least three seasons (1995/96 to 1997/98) when it was photographed in November 1996 and again in January 1997 at an empty nest site.  This is the bird briefly referred to in the second edition of Hadoram Shirihai's 2007 "*A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife*" on p. 117. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/salvins_albatross_kerguelen_island_by_frederic_jiguet.jpg "Salvin's Albatross ashore on Kerguelen. Photograph by Frederic Jiguet")     ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/salvins_albatross_headshot_kerguelen_island_by_frederic_jiguet.jpg "Salvin's Albatross on Kerguelen. Photograph by Frederic Jiguet") Elsewhere in the Southern Indian Ocean, four pairs of Salvin's Albatrosses were reported breeding on Ile des Pingouins, Iles Crozet in November 1986 by Pierre Jouventin.  However, there has been no confirmation of their continued occurrence ever since that time, although a visit to the island is planned for 2012. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/salvins_albatrosses_penguin_island_by_pierre_jouventin.jpg "Salvin's Albatrosses beeding on Penguin Island, Crozets, November 1986. Photograph by Pierre Jouventin")   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) for the ACAP Species Assessment of the Salvin's Albatross.   For photographs of vagrant Salvin's Albatrosses ashore elsewhere in the Southern Ocean [click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/a-photo-gallery-of-vagrant-thalassarche-albatrosses).   **Reference:**   Jouventin, P. 1990.  Shy Albatrosses *Diomedea cauta salvini* breeding on Penguin Island, Crozet Archipelago, Indian Ocean.  *Ibis* 132: 126-127.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, with Olivier Durie and Frédéric Jiguet, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Pierre Jouventin, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive & Henri Weimerskirch, **Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé.**** 2 February 2010*. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/salvins-albatrosses-on-kerguelen-and-penguin-island-crozets.md) ## ACAP appoints Dr Wiesława Misiak as its First Science Officer ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/Light-mantled_sooty_albatross_by_aleks_terauds_thumb.jpg "Light-mantled Sooty Albatross chick. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") On 4 January 2010 the Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) appointed Dr Wiesława Misiak as its first Science Officer on a fixed-term contract for four years.  This brings the full-time staff of the Secretariat up to two, following the appointment in May 2009 of Warren Papworth as the Agreement's first Executive Secretary.   Dr Misiak was appointed following a careful procedure which included advertising the position and the reviewing of applications by the Executive Secretary, the Chair of ACAP's Advisory Committee, Dr Marco Favero and the Convenor of the ACAP Status and Trends Working Group, Dr Rosemary Gales.   Wiesława has been working at the ACAP Secretariat's offices in Hobart, Australia in a temporary capacity since August 2007, where among other tasks she has been responsible for seeing the suite of ACAP Species Assessments drafted, reviewed, edited and published on the web site (click here).   Wiesława says she is delighted with her appointment and looks forward to continuing to work with the many people with whom she has already been in contact - and to meet and correspond with many more towards the conservation of albatrosses and petrels in the years ahead.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 February 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-appoints-dr-wiesawa-misiak-as-its-first-science-officer.md) ## Royal Naval Bird Watching Society awards a scholarship to study the Southern Giant Petrels of Gough Island The Royal Naval Bird Watching Society ([RNBWS](http://www.rnbws.org.uk/about.php)) has awarded a Captain Simpson Scholarship to establish a long-term demographic study of the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* (an ACAP-listed species) on Gough Island in the South Atlantic. The scholarship, which was established by the RNBWS from a legacy made to it by Captain Davis Simpson, Merchant Navy, who passed away in 2002 ([click here](http://www.rnbws.org.uk/pdfs/20070213_TheCaptainSimpsonScholarship.pdf)), will allow the necessary colour and metal bands, banding equipment and nest markers to be purchased and will also cover the costs of fares to the island for two researchers from Cape Town, South Africa. The project will be run by John Cooper (African Seabird Group), with support from Richard Cuthbert (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and Peter Ryan (FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town). Gough Island in the UK Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic is the most northerly breeding locality of the species. It is the only breeding locality within the Tristan Group as breeding has not occurred on the main island of Tristan da Cunha for a century or more. Approval for the project to go ahead has come from the Tristan Conservation Department. Recent whole-island censuses of Southern Giant Petrels on Gough suggest that the population is increasing in size, perhaps in response to an increasing island population of Subantarctic Fur Seals *Arctocephalus tropicalis* from which they scavenge. They also scavenge in the winter months on chicks of the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* that have either been killed or mortally wounded by introduced House Mice*Mus musculus.* This last represents an "unnatural" food source over the austral winter months when seals (and penguins) are largely absent from the island. This extra source of food may be enhancing their survival and/or improving their body condition prior to summer breeding, and thus their breeding success, ultimately leading to the population growth observed. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/southern_giant_petrels_tristan_albatross_chick_gough_isiand_by_peter_ryan.jpg "Southern Giant Petrels about to attack a Tristan Albatross chick wounded by mice on Gough Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan") The long-term demographic study of Gough's Southern Giant Petrels will commence in September/October 2010 during the annual relief of the South African weather station on the island. Information collected will be used to help assess whether breeding success and population changes are influenced by scavenging from either or both seals and albatross chicks, and to compare with the results of more southerly studies of the species.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/royal-naval-bird-watching-society-awards-a-scholarship-to-study-the-southern-giant-petrels-of-gough-island.md) ## Tristan da Cunha approves an ACAP Implementation Plan Tristan da Cunha (part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) in the South Atlantic has adopted an implementation plan for the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP).  The plan has been produced by Dr Anton Wolfaardt, ACAP coordinator for UK South Atlantic Overseas Territories based at the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee ([www.jncc.gov.uk](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/)), along with James Glass and Trevor Glass, respectively heads of the Tristan Departments of Fisheries and of Conservation.   The 46-page report ([click here](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4374)) reviews current work and sets out a prioritised work programme for the future.  It was approved by the Tristan Island Council at a meeting held at the end of last year.   Anton was able to visit the main island of Tristan (and outlying Gough Island) last year when he discussed a draft text with the island community ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/united-kingdoms-acap-officer-makes-first-visit-to-tristan-da-cunha) and [here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/united-kingdoms-acap-officer-wraps-up-his-tristan-visit-on-gough-island) for earlier news stories on Anton's 2009 Tristan visit). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_by__Ross_Wanless_and_Andrea_Angel_2.jpg "Tristan Albatross feeds it chick on Gough Island. Photograph by Andrea Angel and Ross Wanless")   The comprehensive report notes that the UK ratification of ACAP was extended to Tristan da Cunha in April 2006, after the adoption of new conservation legislation by Tristan which takes account of the text and requirements of the Agreement.  Tristan supports six species of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, three of which (the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena*, Endangered Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* and Vulnerable Spectacled Petrel *Pterodroma conspicillata*) are endemic to the island group.  In addition the Tristan population of Sooty Albatrosses *Phoebetria fusca* is globally the largest.  An additional 10 non-breeding ACAP species have been recorded as visitors to the territorial waters of Tristan da Cunha.   The Tristan da Cunha ACAP Implementation Plan is intended to serve as a tool to guide and coordinate actions that are required to be undertaken in order to meet the UK's and Tristan da Cunha's obligations to the Agreement.  Each of the main sections of the plan includes a summary of ACAP requirements, which have been drawn from the text of the Agreement and its Action Plan, as well as an overview of current work related to these requirements and a list of recommended actions, which are accorded priority ratings.  A list of key stakeholders is also included.  High-priority actions include continued work towards the eradication of House Mice *Mus musculus* on Gough and the continued monitoring of numbers and trends of ACAP-listed species, especially those endemic to the island group.  Fishery interactions within Tristan (including EEZ) waters are also covered in the report.   Visit Tristan web sites that carry natural history news:   [http://www.tristantimes.com/](http://www.tristantimes.com/) [http://tristan-da-cunha.com/](http://tristan-da-cunha.com/) [http://www.tristandc.com/](http://www.tristandc.com/)   **Reference:**   Wolfaardt, A.C, Glass, J.P. & Glass, T. 2009.  Tristan da Cunha implementation plan for the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP): review of current work and a prioritised work programme for the future.  Tristan da Cunha: Tristan da Cunha Government.  46 pp.  [http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4374](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4374).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer with Anton Wolfaardt, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 17 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/tristan-da-cunha-approves-an-acap-implementation-plan.md) ## Albatross census on Nightingale's islets: first estimates for 36 years UPDATED Nightingale Island is the smallest and oldest of the three islands in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago in the South Atlantic. It is also the only island in the group to have offshore islands that are significant for seabirds. These islets are seldom visited, and most of what we know of their avifauna dates back to Mike Richardson's observations in 1973 (Richardson 1984). Alex or Middle Island, located less than 200 m north of Nightingale, is especially important for Northern Rockhopper Penguins *Eudyptes moseleyi*, but Richardson estimated that it supported 100-200 pairs of ACAP-listed Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* (Mollies) and tens of thousands of pairs of Great Shearwaters *Puffinus gravis*. Stoltenhoff Island, 800 m north-west of Alex Island, is a taller island, with 50-m cliffs around much of its coastline. Landing is only possible at the extreme western end of the island, and requires exceptionally calm conditions. It has no penguins, but Richardson estimated it supported 500 pairs of Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, 25-50 pairs of ACAP-listed Sooty Albatrosses *Phoebetria fusca* as well as tens of thousands of pairs of Great Shearwaters. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/norman_glass_stoltenhoff_islet_by_peter_ryan.jpg "Norman Glass waves the Tristan flag on Stoltenhoff Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan") ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/atlantic_yellow_nosed_albatrosses_stoltenhoff_islet_by_peter_ryan.jpg) Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses on Stoltenhoff Islet with Inaccessible Island in the background.  Photograph by Peter Ryan   We visited both islets in early December 2009 (see Ryan *et al*. 2011). Counting was hampered by the rugged terrain and dense cover of *Spartina arundinacea* tussock grass. However, we covered both islets quite carefully and although Great Shearwaters remained abundant, we counted only 40 pairs of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses on Alex Island, and 210 on Stoltenhoff. Only six pairs of Sooty Albatrosses were found on Stoltenhoff's cliffs. Assuming Richardson's estimates were accurate, this suggests that the numbers of Mollies have fallen by roughly 60% over the last 36 years, whereas Sooty Albatrosses have fallen by 80-90%. Some of the decrease on Alex Island might be a result of exploitation by Tristan Islanders (Richardson 1984), but birds on Stoltenhoff have seldom been exploited due to the difficulty of landing on the island. Their decreases probably result from increased mortality at sea, presumably linked to fishing activity.   **References:** Richardson, M.E. 1984.  Aspects of the ornithology of the Tristan da Cunha group and Gough Island, 1972-1974.  *Cormorant* 12: 123-201. Ryan, P.G., Glass, N. & Ronconi, R.A. 2011.  The plants and birds of Stoltenhoff and Middle Islands, Tristan da Cunha.  [*Polar Record* 47: 86-90](http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPOL%2FPOL47_01%2FS0032247410000112a.pdf&code=9506d55a131b3b35d298f403f4d38dc7). *Norman Glass, Tristan Conservation Department, Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean; Rob Ronconi, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Peter Ryan, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa* *18 February 2010, updated 30 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/albatross-census-on-nightingales-islets-first-estimates-for-36-years.md) ## Registration for the First World Seabird Conference now open The 1st World Seabird Conference will be held over 7-11 September 2010 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.   Visit the conference [website](http://www.WorldSeabirdConference.com) for programme updates, including preliminary details regarding the conference workshop series.   Registration for conference workshops will be available shortly.  The submission deadline for abstracts is 5 March 2010.   The following sessions are seeking speakers:   Seabird Phenotypic Plasticity and Microevolution Spatial Ecology at Sea: Opportunities and Challenges for Seabird Marine Protected Areas   Contact Patrick Jodice of the Scientific Programme Committee for submission details.   *19 February 2010*   *![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black_Petrel_by_Dept_of_Conservation_New_Zealand.jpg "Black Petrel: a New Zealand-endemic ACAP species. Photograph by Department of Conservation")*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/registration-for-the-first-world-seabird-conference-now-open.md) ## Japan nominates the Ogasawara Islands to the World Heritage Convention Japan has nominated its Ogasawara Islands to the World Heritage Convention.  Both Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* (20 pairs in the Mukojima Group) and Black-footed *P. nigripes* Albatrosses (*c*. 1000 pairs in the Mukojima and Hahajima Groups) breed in the Ogasawaras.  The Short-tailed Albatross *P. albatrus* has bred in the Ogasawaras in the past.  However, chick translocation and decoy-based attraction efforts have taken place over three years on Mukojima in the hopes of re-establishing a breeding colony on this non-volcanic island (search on the species' name for earlier news stories on these translocation efforts or [click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/a-good-start-translocating-the-short-tailed-albatross-updated)).  [Click here](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/suisensho_eigo.pdf) for the nomination text and [here](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/kanrikeikaku_eigo.pdf) for the islands' management plan.  The Ogasawara Islands Ecosystem Conservation Action Plan is available at [http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-footed_Albatross_by_James_Lloyd.jpg "Black-footed Albatross. Photograph by James Lloyd")  The [34th Session of the World Heritage Committee](http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/34COM/) will be held in Brasília, Brazil from 25 July to 3 August 2010.  The functions of the Committee are to identify, on the basis of nominations submitted by States Parties, cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value which are to be protected under the Convention and to list those properties on the World Heritage List.  Read an earlier [ACAP news story](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/north-pacific-albatross-breeding-sites-head-for-world-heritage-status) on developments with World Heritage and albatross islands in the Pacific Ocean.*** *** *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 February 2010* * * [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/japan-nominates-the-ogasawara-islands-to-the-world-heritage-convention.md) ## ACAP species receive coverage at an island invasives conference An international conference, entitled "island Invasives: Eradication and Management" was held on the Tamaki Campus of the University of Auckland, New Zealand from 8-12 February 2010. The conference was held under the auspices of the World Conservation Union's Invasive Species Specialist Group ([www.issg.org](http://www.issg.org/)) and the University's Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity ([www.cbb.org.nz](http://www.cbb.org.nz/)). Several papers presented as oral or poster contributions dealt with aspects of ACAP-listed species. A list by author and title is given here to increase awareness. Senior authors should be contacted directly for further information. Cuthbert, Richard, Louw, H., Visser, P., Rexer-Huber, K., Parker, G. & Ryan, P. The impact of invasive house mice and plans for their eradication at the UK Overseas Territory of Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha. [Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena*]. Eijzenga, Heather. Vegetation change following rabbit eradication on Lehua Island, Hawaiian Islands. [Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis*]. Poncet, Sally, D. Poncet, L. Poncet, D. Christie and D. Brown. A decade of eradications in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. [White-chinned Petrel *Procellaria aequinoctialis*]* Young, Lindsay C, Sato, P., Jeffers-Fabro, A., Swenson, C., Kennedy, P. & Smith, D.G. Lessons learned from gaining political and community support of Hawai'i's first predator-proof fence at Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve. [Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis*]. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_by_James_Lloyd.jpg "Laysan Albatrosses. Photograph by James Lloyd") Visit the conference webs site at [http://www.cbb.org.nz/conferences.asp](http://www.cbb.org.nz/conferences.asp). *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. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-species-receive-coverage-at-an-island-invasives-conference.md) ## USA continues to work towards becoming a party to ACAP Since ACAP's beginnings, the United States has expressed a keen interest in the Agreement's activities.  US federal managers have actively participated in ACAP meetings from the start.  For example, the ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group has included Kim Rivera of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries as an invited expert since the group was formed, and Nicole LeBoeuf, also now of NOAA Fisheries, was seconded to the ACAP Secretariat in 2006/2007.   Joining an international treaty is no simple feat for any country.  For over three years, staff members within US federal agencies have worked with bird conservation NGOs and the US Congress to join ACAP.  The Bush Administration expressed interest in acceding to the Agreement, given the fond memories of former First Lady Laura Bush of walking among albatrosses on Midway Island in the North Pacific and due to the President's overall interest in bird conservation.  In September 2008, the US State Department submitted ACAP to the US Senate committee which decides on the United States joining international treaties, asking for its consideration of the Agreement.  Then, on his last day in office, President George Bush forwarded to Congress proposed legislation ([click here](http://www.gc.noaa.gov/gcil_seabirds.html)) which would implement ACAP if the Senate approved acceding to the Agreement.   United States interest in joining ACAP became even more focused once ACAP Parties chose to list the three North Pacific Albatross species on Annex I of the Agreement in May 2009.  Shortly thereafter, President Barack Obama announced his treaty priorities.  The short list included ACAP.  This announcement, coupled with the attendance of Dr. Jane Lubchenco, the head of NOAA, at a reception in Washington, DC (hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco and BirdLife International, [click here](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/12/washington_event.html)) in December 2009 signals continued interest by the United States in joining ACAP.   See also [http://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/acaps-14th-party-progress-with-the-usas-intention-to-join-the-agreement](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/acaps-14th-party-progress-with-the-usas-intention-to-join-the-agreement). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_black-footed_midway_by_eric_vanderwerf.jpg "Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses fly over Midway Island. Photograph by Eric vanderwerf") Staff from key US federal agencies also attended the reception, mingling with bird conservation groups and sharing their positive views on US involvement in ACAP.  According to US officials, the next step in the United States joining ACAP will be for a member of the US Congress to introduce legislation to implement ACAP.  This legislation will most likely be patterned after the Bush Administration's proposed bill.  Once advanced through the political process, the bill can be attached to the existing request with the US Senate to consider joining the Agreement.  In the meantime, US federal agencies with responsibility for seabird conservation continue to work together and with conservation NGOs and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to determine how best to implement the treaty, including by providing technical drafting assistance and other expert input to interested members of Congress.   In addition to its interest in joining ACAP, the United States continues to take a leadership role in seeking binding measures for reducing seabird bycatch within the Regional Fisheries Management Bodies.  Related to this, the United States is co-hosting an important upcoming joint meeting of the five tuna RFMOs in Brisbane, Australia in June 2010.  Given its expert role in global seabird conservation, ACAP's advice and input will be sought in the planning and execution of the meeting.  More information on this meeting can be found at: [www.tuna-org.org](http://www.tuna-org.org/).   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2008-news-archive/president-bush-asks-the-united-states-congress-to-accede-to-acap) for an earlier news item on USA acceding to ACAP.   *News from the United States, 24 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/usa-continues-to-work-towards-becoming-a-party-to-acap.md) ## Short-tailed Albatross chicks buried by a landslide on Torishima A recent landslide ([click here](http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100219p2a00m0na017000c.html)) on Torishima in the Japanese Izu Islands has killed two Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus* chicks.   Torishima is an uninhabited volcanic island at the southern end of the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean.  This is the first time that Short-tailed "*ahodori*" chicks have been confirmed killed by a landslide.   Yamashina Institute for Ornithology employees staying on the island discovered the landslide in the Tsubamezaki breeding colony, the largest on the island, on 13 February 2010.  Two chicks were rescued from the slide but another two were found dead.  A further six are thought to remain buried.   The danger of landslides at the Tsubamezaki site has prompted a plan to build a channel to prevent landslides from entering the colony in June once the current breeding season ends, and to move chicks to a safer place on the island.   Because the birds are also in danger of extinction from possible volcanic eruptions on the island, about 70 chicks are being moved to non-volcanic Mukojima in the Ogasawara Islands over the five-year period 2007 to 2011 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/a-good-start-translocating-the-short-tailed-albatross-updated) for an earlier news story on the relocation effort). For more details on the translocation project visit [http://project.nprb.org/view.jsp?id=9f7843f6-2ebe-42a1-a397-4dcdd79a4609](http://project.nprb.org/view.jsp?id=9f7843f6-2ebe-42a1-a397-4dcdd79a4609).       ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short-tailed_Albatrosses_by_Hiroshi_Hasegawa1.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross on Torishima. Photograph by Hiroshi Hasegawa")   [Click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3956&m=0) for the Red Data account for the Vulnerable Short-tailed Albatross and [here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access the ACAP Species Assessment.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 February 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/short-tailed-albatross-chicks-buried-by-a-landslide-on-torishima.md) ## SCAR expert group to include ACAP species in a vertebrate tracking data base The [Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research](http://www.scar.org/) Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (SCAR EG-BAMM) was formed to replace two separate SCAR expert groups dedicated to seabirds and to seals, with the addition of cetaceans to its remit. The new group, inaugurated at the SCAR Biology Symposium held in Sapporo, Japan in July 2009, will next meet at the [SCAR 2010 Open Science Conference](http://www.dna.gov.ar/scar2010/), to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in July. The Chief Officer of the EG-BAMM is Mark Hindell of the University of Tasmania and its Secretary is Yan Ropert-Coudert of the Université de Strasbourg, France, supported by a small core group of members. Following the Japan meeting, when a working format was established and aims and potential projects discussed, the Argentina meeting will concentrate on commencing the compilation of an Antarctic Bird and Marine Mammal Tracking Data Base. This data base will cover flying birds and penguins, as well as seals and whales, utilizing information collected by satellite tracking and remote logging devices.  Its area of interest will match that of SCAR's: including the whole Southern Ocean and its sub-Antarctic and cool-temperate islands. The model to be broadly followed is that previously adopted in the compilation of the Global Procellariiform Data Base (BirdLife International 2004). The SCAR expert group will work closely with [BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/index.html) in adding to and updating the information of albatrosses and petrels, and thus will cover most of the species currently listed within ACAP. It is expected the tracking data base will be of seminal value in advising SCAR in relation to the selection of Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean. A further value will come by way of a gap analysis to identify where (and on what species) new tracking studies are needed to help manage the biota and ecosystems of the far south. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_flying_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel at sea. Photograph by Warwick Barnes") **Reference:** BirdLife International 2004. Tracking Ocean Wanderers: the Global Distribution of Albatrosses and Petrels. Results from the Global Procellariiform Tracking Workshop, 1-5 September 2003, Gordon's Bay, South Africa. BirdLife International: Cambridge. 100 pp. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, with Mark Hindell, Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, 25 February 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/scar-expert-group-to-include-acap-species-in-a-vertebrate-tracking-data-base.md) ## Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation awarded to help save albatrosses and petrels Dr Ben Sullivan, the coordinator of [BirdLife International's Global Seabird Programme](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/index.html),  has been awarded a 2010 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to work towards a reduction in the numbers of seabirds (mainly albatrosses and petrels) killed in fishing operations ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/03/Ben_Sullivan_Pew_fellowship.html)). The Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation awards five recipients a year US$150 000 for a three-year scientific research or conservation project designed to address critical challenges facing the oceans. Dr Sullivan's fellowship will utilize the existing BirdLife International Albatross Task Force to conduct research and develop best practices for reducing the killing of seabirds in many of the bycatch 'hot spots' around the world. Ben Sullivan's project will analyze devices to scare birds from behind longliners and trawlers, and will develop and evaluate new technologies to prevent birds accessing hooks. He will also test innovative line weighting to increase the sink rate of longlines. Since 1996, the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation has awarded 115 fellowships to individuals from 30 countries. The [Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation](http://www.pewmarinefellows.org/) funds science and other projects that address challenges in the conservation of the ocean, including communication of project information to increase awareness of global marine issues.  [Click here](http://www.pewmarinefellows.org/2010/pdf/NR_2010-PFMC-Sullivan-final.pdf) for the Pew Fellowship press release. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/Chatham_Albatross_by_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Chatham Albatrosses. Photograph by Graham Robertson") Ben Sullivan works closely with the Albatross and Petrel Agreement through his membership of the ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group ([SBWG](https://www.acap.aq/working-groups/working-groups/seabird-bycatch-wg-convener?catid=261)).  ACAP offers its congratulations to Ben for this award. A Pew Fellowship was previously awarded to Dr Graham Robertson of the Australian Antarctic Division in 2004 to undertake similar research on mitigation measures to reduce mortality of seabirds in longline fisheries ([click here](http://www.pewmarinefellows.org/fellows/grobertson/fellows-dir-profile.php?pfID=9928)).  Graham also serves on the SBWG. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/pew-fellowship-in-marine-conservation-awarded-to-help-save-albatrosses-and-petrels.md) ## Searching the literature: ACAP receives help from a university library The ACAP Secretariat is a small one, being formed of a core of only two full-time posts (Executive Secretary and Science Officer), supported by several others working part-time or in a honorary capacity ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-secretariat-staff/secretariat)). Much of the Secretariat's work, especially that of the Science Officer, requires an up-to-date knowledge of the specialized scientific literature on albatrosses and petrels and their habitats. But without an established library of such literature, and expensive subscriptions to paper and on-line scientific journals, the Secretariat must rely on support received from outside both to keep abreast of the latest findings and to research previous work. An example of the need to be kept informed is represented by the Species Assessments of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels that have been added to this web site ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)). So far, up-to-date assessments prepared under the direction and edited by the Science Officer are available for all but two of the currently 29 ACAP-listed species. It is intended that assessments for the Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and Laysan *P. immutabilis* Albatrosses, now in their final draft form, will be added to the web site soon. It is thus a pleasure for the ACAP Secretariat to acknowledge the support that has come from the many individuals and bodies in supplying it with PDFs of recent publications to allow these assessments and other ACAP documents to be prepared. Foremost among this support has been that of the [Niven Library](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/docs/niven.html) of the [Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/index.html), Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town in South Africa. The Niven Librarian, Margaret Koopman has been assiduous in supplying ACAP's Information Officer with PDFs of scientific papers on ACAP-listed species for featuring on this web site and for forwarding to the Secretariat in Hobart. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/margaret_koopman_niven_librarian_by_john _cooper.jpg) Margaret Koopman next to the recent literature section of the Niven Library, below a portrait of the library's benefactor, Cecily Niven.  Photograph by John Cooper This ongoing support is much appreciated and was recently marked when ACAP's Information Officer presented a small gift to Margaret in the Niven Library, considered by many to be the best ornithological library in the southern hemisphere and most probably among the top five or so in the World. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/percy_fitzpatrick_portrait_niven_libraray_by_john_cooper.jpg "A portrait of Percy FitzPatrick, Cecily Niven's father after whom the FtzPatrick Institute is named, in the Niven Library, University of Cape Town. Photograph by John Cooper") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/searching-the-literature-acap-receives-help-from-a-university-library.md) ## Rare visit to Prince Edward Island plans to study ACAP birds Prince Edward Island, smaller of the two sub-Antarctic islands in the South African Prince Edward Island Group, is rarely visited in an effort to retain its near-pristine nature. However, a six-person party is scheduled to visit the island next month as part of the annual relief of the meteorological and research station on the larger Marion Island. Research on ACAP-listed species on Prince Edward over a period of six days (the maximum length of visit allowed for by the Prince Edward Islands Management Committee) will be led by Azwianewi Makhado of the [Department of Environmental Affair's](http://www.deat.gov.za/) Marine and Coastal Management Branch. Major research initiatives will include completing a survey commenced in December 2008 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2008-news-archive/prince-edward-survey-party-achieves-objectives)) of the distribution and numbers of burrows of the White-chinned Petrel *Procellaria aequinoctialis*, which, with surveys already made on Marion Island, should result in an estimate of the island group's total annual breeding population. At the same time, burrows of the winter-breeding Grey Petrel *P. cinerea* will be searched for and counted. This species is rare on Marion Island, but is thought to be more abundant on Prince Edward, where until now it has remained unstudied. Counts of occupied nests of surface-nesting albatrosses of five species, including of the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* (which will then have small chicks) will be undertaken over the whole island. It is also intended to attach satellite transmitters (PTTs) on up to 10 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses *Thalassarche carteri* to ascertain their at-sea movements during the late chick-rearing stage and after breeding during the winter months. This species does not breed on Marion Island so can only be studied within the group at Prince Edward. In addition to the MCM party, a team of three from the Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology ([CIB](http://academic.sun.ac.za/cib/)), Stellenbosch University will undertake surveys of the distribution of alien plants and invertebrates. The CIB team will include ACAP's Information Officer, who in the guise of an amateur historian will be visiting and making a photographic record of the largely undisturbed sealers' sites on the island.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan2.jpg "Grey Petrel breeding on Marion Island: one of the few. Photograph by Peter Ryan") **A selected bibliography of ACAP-listed species at Prince Edward Island** Berruti, A., Griffiths, A.M., Imber, M.J., Schramm, M. & Sinclair, J.C. 1981. The status of seabirds at Prince Edward Island. *South African Journal of Antarctic Research* 10/11: 31-32. Cooper, J. & Brooke, M. de L. 1984. Breeding status of burrowing petrels at Prince Edward Island. *South African Journal of Antarctic Research* 14: 34-35. Imber, M.J. 1983. The lesser petrels of Antipodes Islands with notes from Prince Edward and Gough Islands. *Notornis* 30: 283-298. Ryan, P.G., Cooper, J., Dyer, B.M., Underhill, L.G., Crawford, R,J.M. & Bester, M.N. 2003. Counts of surface-nesting seabirds breeding at sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Island, summer 2001/02. *African Journal of Marine Science* 25: 441-451. Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W., Dyer, B.M., Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M. 2009. Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. *African Journal of Marine Science* 31: 409-417. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/rare-visit-to-prince-edward-island-plans-to-study-acap-birds.md) ## ACAP's most threatened albatrosses to be entered into a photographic competition Photographs of 10 of the World's 22 albatross species (as recognized by ACAP) are eligible to be submitted to an international competition covering the World's 623 most threatened birds: those with a category of Critically Endangered or Endangered.   The photos submitted to the competition will feature in a publication, *The World's Rarest Birds*, to be published in 2011.  The book will aim to be a comprehensive directory of the world's most threatened bird species and will include specially written feature articles on the key bird conservation issues in each of the World's regions ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/03/worlds_rarest.html)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_female_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross: a candidate for the competition. Photograph by John Cooper")   Information on the photographic competition, including how to submit pictures of threatened albatrosses (and other species of birds) may be found at [http://www.theworldsrarestbirds.com/](http://www.theworldsrarestbirds.com/).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 March 2012* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acaps-most-threatened-albatrosses-to-be-entered-into-a-photographic-competition.md) ## ACAP posts 40 working papers for its Fifth Advisory Committee meeting next month ACAP's Advisory Committee will hold its Fifth Meeting in Mar del Plata, Argentina over 13-17 April 2010 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-circulars/view-category) for the meeting circulars and for the registration form). Forty [working papers](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/view-category) for the meeting (25 Documents in the three ACAP languages of English, French and Spanish and 15 Information Papers in English) have now been posted to this web site. Documents of interest to wider audiences include **Conservation Guidelines for Biosecurity and Quarantine Measures with Application to ACAP Breeding Sites** (AC5 Doc 19) and a **Report on the Implementation of the Waved Albatross Action Plan** (AC5 Doc20). Meeting documents also give an update of the **IUCN Red List for ACAP species** (noting impending changes to the threatened status of Chatham and Laysan Albatrosses and Southern Giant Petrels; AC5 Doc 34) and discuss **Important Breeding Areas** holding ACAP-listed species (IBAs; AC5 Doc 33). Information papers include an updated **assessment of albatrosses and giant petrels at the South African Prince Edward Islands** (AC5 Inf 2) and 14 **Bycatch Mitigation Sheets** co-produced by ACAP and BirdLife International that give practical information on seabird bycatch mitigation measures for both longline and trawl fisheries (AC5 Inf 4). A short review of the **conservation status of shearwaters** of the genera *Calonectris* and *Puffinus* (AC5 Inf 15) has been produced to aid the Advisory Committee in considering potential candidate species for listing within the Agreement. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/Pedra_Branca_by_Rachael_Alderman.jpg "Pedra Branca: home of a colony of Shy Albatrosses. Photograph by Rachael Alderman")   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 March 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-posts-40-working-papers-for-its-fifth-advisory-committee-meeting-next-month.md) ## Chatham and White-capped Albatrosses attempt breeding on the Snares Islands, New Zealand The Snares Islands lie south of New Zealand.  They support sizable breeding populations of Buller's *Thalassarche bulleri* and Salvin's *T. salvini* Albatrosses (Miskelly 1984, Miskelly *et al*. 2001).  In addition, a single pair of Black-browed Albatrosses *T. melanophris* has been reported incubating and with a young chick in different years on Toru Islet in the Western Chain (Miskelly *et al*. 2001).   New information on the rarer breeding albatrosses of the Western Chain comes from recent visits to the Snares by Matt Charteris of New Zealand.   A Chatham Albatross was photographed incubating an egg on the western face of Rima Islet on 13 October 2008 (partner unknown).  In the same month a Chatham Albatross was observed incubating on Toru Islet, with at least three other birds present.  Previously this species has only been recorded breeding on Toru in the Western Chain (one bird incubating in 1995), although birds have been reported ashore on Rima (Miskelly *et al.* 2001).  During September/October 2009 a Chatham Albatross was observed incubating an egg on Toru.   Its partner was confirmed as a Salvin's Albatross. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/Chatham_Albatross_Rima_Snares_by_Matt_Charteris.jpg "Incubating Chatham Albatross on Rima Islet, Snares. Photograph by Matt Charteris")   On 30 September 2009, a White-capped Albatross was photographed incubating an egg on Rima Islet in the Western Chain.  The bird's partner was not observed.  This species has been reported ashore as singletons on two occasions on Toru Islet, one of which was displaying with non-breeding Salvin's Albatrosses (Miskelly 1984, Miskelly *et al*. 2001).  The Rima bird thus appears to be the first breeding record of the White-capped Albatross in the Snares Island Group. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White-capped_Albatross_by_Matt_Charteris.JPG "Incubating White-capped Albatross, Rima Islet, Snares. Photograph by Matt Charteris")   Black-browed Albatrosses were not proven breeding during the 2008 and 2009 visits, although two birds were seen ashore on Toru Islet in both years, one of which occupied a nest mound.   With grateful thanks to Matt Charteris of Waybacks Limited, Buller, New Zealand for supplying the information and photographs.   **References:**   Miskelly, C.M. 1984.  Birds of the Western Chain, Snares Islands 1983-84.  [*Notornis* 31: 209-223](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_48-2001/Notornis_48_1_1.pdf). Miskelly, C.M., Sagar, P.M., Tennyson, A.J.D. & Scofield, R.P. 2001.  Birds of the Snares Islands, New Zealand.  [*Notornis* 48: 1-40](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_48-2001/Notornis_48_1_1.pdf).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/chatham-and-white-capped-albatrosses-attempt-breeding-on-the-snares-islands-new-zealand.md) ## The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission amends its seabird bycatch mitigation resolution to protect juvenile albatrosses Following recommendations emanating from its subsidiary bodies ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/indian-ocean-tuna-commissions-scientific-committee-recommends-a-northerly-increase-in-its-seabird-mitigation-measure-area)) the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission ([IOTC](http://www.iotc.org/)) has acted to help protect mainly juvenile albatrosses and petrels in the southern Indian Ocean.   Meeting in Busan, Korea over 1-5 March this year, the [Fourteenth Meeting](http://www.iotc.org/English/meetings/comm/comcurrent.php) of the Commission considered a [proposal](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/s/IOTC-2010-S14-PropK[E].pdf) to amend [Resolution 08/03](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/misc/ComReportsTexts/resolutions_E.pdf) on **Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries**.   The amended text proposed by France on behalf of its Overseas Territories (which include island groups in the southern Indian Ocean that support ACAP-breeding species) was adopted as new Resolution 10/06.  The substantive change shifts the northern limit of the region of the southern Indian Ocean south of which seabird mitigation measures are required to be implemented northwards from 30°S to 25°S, so as to include more of the at-sea distributions of mainly juvenile albatrosses and petrels.   The amendment is to come into force from 1 November 2010, but Contracting and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (CPCs) to the IOTC are encouraged to ensure their longline fishing vessels adopt mitigation measures from south of 25°S as soon as possible.  The actual mitigation measures remain unchanged, requiring the use of at least two measures, one which must be night setting, use of bird-scaring lines or weighted branch lines.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Amsterdam_Albatross_by_Scott_Shaffer.jpg "Amsterdam Albatross: endemic to the southern Indian Ocean. Photograph by Scott Shaffer") The French proposal also noted the economic advantages of seabird mitigation measures, by significantly increasing the catches of targeted fisheries.   With thanks to Alejandro Anganuzzi, Executive Secretary, Indian Ocean Tuna Commission   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 March 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-indian-ocean-tuna-commission-amends-its-seabird-bycatch-mitigation-resolution-to-protect-juvenile-albatrosses.md) ## Northern Royal Albatrosses at Taiaroa Head achieve 100% hatching success in 2010 The small colony of Northern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea sanfordi* at Taiaroa Head at the end of the Otago Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand is perhaps the World's best-known albatross breeding site.  It is certainly one of the very few that can be viewed by the general public, along with Kilauea Point on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, where Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* may be seen breeding.   This year the Royals of Taiaroa have achieved a 100% hatching success rate with all 17 eggs laid producing chicks ([click here](http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/100-hatch-rate-for-albatross-chicks/)).  This is the first time all the eggs laid in a single season have hatched successfully in 16 years of observations.  A [female-female pair](http://www.albatross.org.nz/news.html#twomums) has also managed to hatch an egg, presumably fertilized by an extra-pair male.   Taiaroa Head was also the home of "Grandma", a Royal Albatross that lived for over 60 years ([click here](http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/sea-and-shore-birds/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/facts/)).   Read more about the albatrosses of Taiaroa at [http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/about-doc/concessions-and-permits/conservation-revealed/toroa-royal-albatross-lowres.pdf](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/about-doc/concessions-and-permits/conservation-revealed/toroa-royal-albatross-lowres.pdf).  Information on how to visit Taiaroa Head may be found at the Royal Albatross Centre's [web site](http://www.albatross.org.nz/).   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal_Albatross_500th_chick_by_Lyndon_Perriman.jpg "Northern Royal Albatross and chick. Photograph by Lyndon Perriman ") The ACAP Species Assessment for the Northern Royal Albatross may be found at [http://www.acap.aq/acap-species](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/northern-royal-albatrosses-at-taiaroa-head-achieve-100-hatching-success-in-2010.md) ## Surveying White-capped Albatrosses at the Auckland Islands, New Zealand For the fourth successive year, an aerial survey of breeding White-capped Albatrosses *Thalassarche steadi* has been undertaken at the [Auckland Islands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Islands), south of New Zealand.   Once again, the survey was undertaken by [Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants](http://www.latitude42.com.au/) under contract to New Zealand's [Ministry of Fisheries](http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/default.htm).  A helicopter flew the photographic team led by Barry Baker, from Invercargill (South Island, New Zealand), to Enderby Island in the Auckland Group on 3 December 2009 for refuelling.  Aerial photography was then undertaken at Disappointment Island (where the bulk of the species' population breeds), South West Cape on the main island, and at Adams Island.  The helicopter then returned the same day to Invercargill via a second refuelling stop on Enderby.   The five-year study aims to estimate population size and track population trends, as part of larger programme directed at assessing the effects of fishing on the population viability of selected seabird species.  Early indications from the 2009 counts indicate that there were fewer birds breeding on South West Cape than in previous years.  Although count data for Disappointment Island are still being assessed, in previous years counts at this locality have provided a reliable 'litmus' test for population numbers at the other two colonies.   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2008-news-archive/third-aerial-survey-of-white-capped-albatrosses-at-the-auckland-islands-completed) for a report on the previous year's survey. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White-capped Albatross nest byDavid Thompson.jpg "White-capped Albatross. Photograph by David Thompson")   The ACAP Species Assessment for the White-capped Albatross may be viewed at [http://www.acap.aq/acap-species](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species).   *News from Barry Baker, Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants, 20 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/surveying-white-capped-albatrosses-at-the-auckland-islands-new-zealand.md) ## Assessing the impact of the Uruguayan pelagic longline fishery on albatrosses and petrels in the south-west Atlantic Ocean UPDATED Researchers based in Uruguay have recently published a paper in the journal *[Aquatic Living Resources](http://www.alr-journal.org/)* assessing the impacts of the Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet on three ACAP-listed species.  The abstract of their publication follows.   The Black-browed *Thalassarche melanophris* and Atlantic Yellow-nosed *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* Albatrosses and the White-chinned Petrel *Procellaria aequinoctialis* are the seabird species most frequently captured by pelagic longline fisheries in the south-west Atlantic.  This study estimates this type of bycatch and describes the spatial-temporal patterns of the incidental capture of these species by the Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet, based on data collected by scientific observers on 47 fishing trips from 2004 to 2007.  Three generalized linear models (GLM) models were employed to predict bycatch for each species based on the observed data.  We also developed a spatio-temporal species-specific analysis. Captures were recorded in Uruguayan waters, mainly over the slope and depth waters, and in international waters adjacent to Uruguay, the north of Argentina, and the south of Brazil.  The highest catch rates for Black-browed Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels were recorded on the Uruguayan slope from fall to spring, while the highest values for Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses were recorded further to the north, in the international waters off Brazil in late winter.  The average estimated number of Black-browed and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels caught during the study period was 1683, 257 and 239 birds, respectively.  Taking into account the total effort of the fleet, these values represent an estimated catch rate of 0.276, 0.042, and 0.039 birds/1000 hooks for these species, respectively.  The results of the present study suggest that the annual impact of this fishery is medium to high on the black-browed albatross, low on the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross and low on the White-chinned Petrel.  However, the situation of these species in the south-west Atlantic should be viewed with considerable concern, as our understanding of the impact of the bycatch on their populations requires more research.  Any effort to reduce seabird mortality in the southern hemisphere should target this geographic region.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/white_chinned_petrel_hooked_by nicolas_gasco.jpg "A hooked White-chinned Petrel. Photograph by Nicolas Gasco") With thanks to Sebastián Jiménez, Proyecto Albatros y Petreles - Uruguay   Reference:   Sebastián Jiménez, S.., Abreu, M. Pons, Ortiz, M. & Domingo, A. 2010.  Assessing the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on albatrosses and petrels in the southwest Atlantic.  *Aquatic Living Resources* 23: 49-64.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/black-browed_albatross_attacks_longline_bait_by_martin_abreu.jpg "Juvenile Black-browed Albatross siezes a pelagic longline bait off Uruguay. Photograph by Martin Abreu") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/assessing-the-impact-of-the-uruguayan-pelagic-longline-fishery-on-albatrosses-and-petrels-in-the-south-west-atlantic-ocean.md) ## Australia publishes a national assessment of incidental catch of seabirds in its longline fisheries The International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries ([IPOA-Seabirds](http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/x3170e/x3170e02.htm)) produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ([FAO](http://www.fao.org/)) stipulates that countries with longline fisheries should assess their fisheries to determine if a bycatch problems exists, and if so, to determine its extent and nature.  If a problem is found to exist then countries should adopt a National Plan of Action (NPOA-Seabirds).  A number of countries has already adopted their NPOA-Seabirds, including among ACAP Parties, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay ([click here](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/npoa/en)).   Australia has now published an assessment of all the longline fisheries that operated within its jurisdiction over the period 2003 to 2006 ([click here](http://adl.brs.gov.au/anrdl/metadata_files/pe_brs90000004190.xml)), updating a previous assessment carried out in 2003.   Thirty fisheries were assessed for their impact on seabirds.  A total of 32 seabird taxa was identified as having been killed within the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ).  Albatrosses formed only 10% of the total number (1800-4500) of birds estimated to have been killed each year, with other procellariiform species, such as the Flesh-footed Shearwater *Puffinus carneipes*, dominating the catch.   Bycatch in Australian waters has been considerably reduced since the previous assessment, brought about by the implementation of mitigation measures such as night-setting and line-weighting, and by increased observer programmes.  A northward shift in fishing activities is also thought to have contributed to the decline in seabird bycatch.   The 2008 Assessment concludes that the *Australian Threat Abatement Plan (2006) for the Incidental Catch (or Bycatch) of Seabirds during Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations* ([TAP](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=35316)) is largely fulfilling the role of an NPOA-Seabirds and effective implementation of the TAP should address the major risks posed to seabirds by Australian longline fisheries.   The report further recommends that an assessment of seabird bycatch in Australian trawl fisheries should now be undertaken to measure their impact on seabird populations and that further development and trialling of seabird bycatch mitigation measures for pelagic longline gear remains a high priority. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Fishing_Gear/safe_leads_acap_by_graham_robertson.jpg "Safe leads: a promising mitigation measure for pelagic longliners. Photograph by Graham Robertson") **References:**   Australian Antarctic Division undated.  *Threat Abatement Plan 2006 for the Incidental Catch (or Bycatch) of Seabirds during Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations*.  Canberra: Australain Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment and Water Resources.  30 pp. [http://www.aad.gov.au/MediaLibrary/asset/MediaItems/ml_399394109837963_FINAL%20ThreatAbatement2007-4-combined6c.pdf](http://www.aad.gov.au/MediaLibrary/asset/MediaItems/ml_399394109837963_FINAL%20ThreatAbatement2007-4-combined6c.pdf). Baker, G.B. & Finley, L.A. 2010.  *2008 National Assessment Report for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries*.  Canberra: Bureau of Rural Sciences.  101 pp. [http://adl.brs.gov.au/data/warehouse/pe_brs90000004190/SeabirdAssessment2008_20100318_ap14.pdf](http://adl.brs.gov.au/data/warehouse/pe_brs90000004190/SeabirdAssessment2008_20100318_ap14.pdf)).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/australia-publishes-a-national-assessment-of-incidental-catch-of-seabirds-in-its-longline-fisheries.md) ## Postgraduate degrees awarded for studies of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, 2005-2009 UPDATED A first list is provided of 11 higher degrees (Masters and Doctorates) awarded over the five-year period 2005-2009 for studies conducted on species of albatrosses and petrels listed within the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. Please send details of further postgraduate theses awarded for studies on ACAP-listed birds over the period 2005-2010 to [john.cooper@acap.aq](mailto:john.cooper@acap.aq) for inclusion in future lists.   Fischer, Karen Naess 2007.  Marine habitat use of Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses during the post-breeding season and their spatial and temporal overlap with commercial fisheries.  MSc Thesis, Oregon State University.  111 pp. [http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/7535/1/Fischer_Karen_Thesis.pdf](http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/7535/1/Fischer_Karen_Thesis.pdf).  Kappes, Michelle 2009.  Comparative foraging ecology and energetics of albatrosses.  PhD Thesis, University of California Santa Cruz.  173 pp.    Petersen, Samantha L. 2008.  Assessing and managing the impacts of long-line fishing on seabirds, turtles and sharks off southern Africa.  PhD Thesis, University of Cape Town.  Pinaud, David 2005.  **Relations entre les variations spatio-temporelles de l'environnement et les processus d'acquisition et d'allocation des ressources chez les Procellariiformes****.**  Thèse de Doctorat, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg.  82 pp + appendices.  [http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Pinau.pdf](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Pinau.pdf).  Rolland, Virginie 2008.  **Influence des changements climatiques et des pêcheries industrielles sur la dynamique des populations d 'albatros de l'océan Austral****.**  Thèse de Doctorat, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6).  167 pp + appendices.  [http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Rolland.pdf](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Rolland.pdf).  Spague, Rachel Seabury 2009.  Glucocorticoid physiology and behavior during life history transitions in Laysan Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis)*. PhD Thesis, University of Montana.  81 pp.  [http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05192009-102121/unrestricted/Sprague_umt_0136D_10022.pdf](http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05192009-102121/unrestricted/Sprague_umt_0136D_10022.pdf) Techow, N. Mareile S.M. 2007.  Phylogeny and phylogeography of four Southern Ocean petrels.  PhD Thesis, University of Cape Town. Vincent, Zach 2008.  Survival and reproduction in a biennially breeding seabird, the Wandering Albatross.  MSc Thesis, University of Cape Town. Wanless, Ross M. 2007.  The impacts of the introduced House Mouse on the seabirds of Gough Island.  PhD Thesis, University of Cape Town.  198 pp. Wheeler, Mariëtte  2009.  The effects of human disturbance on the seabirds and seals at sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cape Town.  pp. 228. Young, Lindsay, C. 2009. Foraging ecology, population genetics and risk of fisheries bycatch for the Laysan Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*).  PhD Thesis, University of Hawai'i.  136 pp.  [http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/66_Young_2009_Dissertation_final.pdf](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/66_Young_2009_Dissertation_final.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Light-mantled_Sooty_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Light-mantled Sooty Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 March 2010, last updated 2 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/postgraduate-degrees-awarded-for-studies-of-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels-2005-2009.md) ## The Laysan Albatrosses of Oahu, Hawaii: a growing population being protected The human population of the US island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii is approaching one million on an island of 1545 km2, a third of which lives within the city of Honolulu.  Within 60 kilometres of this crowded metropolis locals and tourists alike may view breeding Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* within the open-access Ka'ena Point Natural Reserve Area at the westernmost tip of the island ([click here ](http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/nars/reserves/oahu/kaenapoint)and [here](http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/kaena/Kaena_pt_brochure.pdf)).  This locality is one of the very few in the World where breeding albatrosses may be seen by the general public without the need to join expensive wildlife expeditions to often out-of-the way places. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/kaena_point_by_lindsay_young.jpg "Kae'na Point Natural Area Reserve. Photograph by Lindsay Young")  Laysan Albatrosses have attempted breeding at six sites on Oahu since 1979 and currently breed at two of them, as set out in a recent paper by Lindsay Young of [Pacific Rim Conservation](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/) and several colleagues.  Successful breeding is a more recent event, with the first chick fledging in 1992 once predator control was started.  Population growth has come from immigration as well as from local recruitment and the annual breeding population of the island is now of the order of 75 pairs, having increased at the rate of 27% per year since 1991.   Efforts are underway to protect the largest colony, at Ka'ena Point, from introduced predators by the provision of a predator-proof fence, borrowing from successful New Zealand designs and due for erection during the course of this year ([click here](http://www.restorekaena.org/)).   The paper postulates that the relatively-elevated breeding localities on Oahu for the Laysan Albatross, although small in comparison to those of the North-western Hawaiian Islands, may serve as a refuge in the event of sea level rise. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_Kaena_Point_by_Lindsay_Young.jpg "Laysan Albatross and chick, Ka'ena Point. Photograph by Lindsay Young") See also [http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/66_Young_2009_Dissertation_final.pdf](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/66_Young_2009_Dissertation_final.pdf). **Reference:** Young, L.C., Vanderwerf, E.A., Smith, D.G., Polhemus, J., Swenson, N., Swenson, C., Liesemeyer, B.R., Gagne, B.H., & Conant, S. 2009.  Demography and natural history of Laysan Albatross on Oahu, Hawaii.  *The Wilson Journal of Ornithology* 121: 722-729.  [http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/64.pdf](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/64.pdf).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer and Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent, 23 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-laysan-albatrosses-of-oahu-hawaii-a-growing-population-being-protected.md) ## New ACAP National Contact Points appointed by three Parties The ACAP Secretariat has recently been advised of the appointment of three new National Contact Points for the following Parties to the Agreement.  A warm welcome to ACAP is extended to them all.   **CHILE**   Sra Karin Mundnich Wiegold Unidad de Asuntos Internacionales División de Desarrollo Pesquero Subsecretaría de Pesca Valparaiso, Chile Phone:  +56-32-250-2836 Email:  [kmundnich@subpesca.cl](mailto:kmundnich@subpesca.cl)   **NEW ZEALAND**   Mr Ian Angus Marine Conservation Team Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 18 -32 Manners Street PO Box 10-420 Wellington, New Zealand Phone:  +64-4-471-3081 Fax:  +64-4-381-3057 Email:  [iangus@doc.govt.nz](mailto:iangus@doc.govt.nz)   **UNITED KINGDOM**   Ms Sally Cunningham CITES and International Species Policy Team International Biodiversity Programme Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) United Kingdom Phone:  +44-117-372-8032 Fax:  +44-117-372-8373 Email:  [Sally.Cunningham@defra.gsi.gov.uk](mailto:Sally.Cunningham@defra.gsi.gov.uk) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved_ Albatross_incubating_by_Kate_Huyvaert.jpg "Incubating Waved Albatross. Photograph by Kate Huyvaert")   *ACAP Secretariat, 24 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-acap-national-contact-points-appointed-by-three-parties.md) ## The Laysan Albatrosses of Isla Clarión, Mexico: complete breeding failure in 2002/03 UPDATED [Isla Clarión](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion_Island), the farthest offshore of the four volcanic islands of the [Archipíelago de Revillagigedo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revillagigedo_Islands), is situated some 700 km offshore from the Mexican mainland in the Pacific Ocean. At least 46 pairs of Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* bred on Isla Clarión in 2002/03, but the species experienced total breeding failure as described in a recently published paper by Ross Wanless and colleagues.  This result was unexpected because feral domestic pigs *Sus scrofa* had been successfully eradicated from Clarión by 2002.  Instead, nest failures were associated with predation or scavenging by an endemic raven, an endemic snake and by ants around the time of hatching. Laysan Albatrosses have continued to attempt breeding on Isla Clarión up to at least 2006. The Reserva de la Biosfera Archipiélago de Revillagigedo was designated as a [Ramsar Wetland Site of International Importance](http://ramsar.wetlands.org/Database/Searchforsites/tabid/765/language/en-US/Default.aspx) on 02 February 2004, with total area of 636 685 ha (search for site No. 1357). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_Pair_Clarion_by_Ross_Wanless.JPG "Laysan Albatross pair on Isla Clarion. Photography by Ross Wanless") The island group has also been on Mexico's World Heritage [Tentative List](http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5395/) from 2008 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/north-pacific-albatross-breeding-sites-head-for-world-heritage-status) for earlier news story).  A [management plan](http://http//www.conanp.gob.mx/pdf_programa_manejo/revillagigedo.pdf) has been produced for the Revillagigedos. **References:** Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas 2004. *Programa de Conservación y Manejo Reserva de La Biosfera Archipiélago de Revillagigedo*. Tlalpan: Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. 220 pp.  [http://www.conanp.gob.mx/pdf_programa_manejo/revillagigedo.pdf](http://www.conanp.gob.mx/pdf_programa_manejo/revillagigedo.pdfWanless).  Wanless, R.M., Aguirre-Muñoz, A., Angel, A., Jacobsen, J.K., Kent, B.S. & McCann, J. 2009.  Birds of Clarion Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico.  *The Wilson Journal of Ornithology* 121: 722-729.  [http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1676/08-140.1](http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1676/08-140.1).  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_hatchling_Clarion_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "Laysan Albatross with hatchling, Isla Clarion. Photograph by Ross Wanless") With thanks to Ross Wanless, BirdLife South Africa and Margaret Koopman, Niven Librarian, University of Cape Town *John Cooper ACAP Information Officer, 25 March 2010, updated 26 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-laysan-albatrosses-of-isla-clarion-mexico-complete-breeding-failure-in-200203.md) ## Black-footed and Laysan Albatross accounts updated by The Birds of North America Online The Birds of North America ([BNA](http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna)) is an innovative publication covering the life histories of North America's breeding birds, whereby each species account, written in classic handbook style by experts, was published as it become available as a separately bound booklet varying in length from 12-40 pages.   The print version of BNA was completed in 2002 in 18 volumes totalling 18 000 pages as a joint 10-year project of the [American Ornithologists' Union](http://aou.org/), the [Cornell Lab of Ornithology](http://www.birds.cornell.edu/), and the US [Academy of Natural Sciences](http://www.ansp.org/).  BNA is now published online by the [Cornell Lab of Ornithology](http://www.birds.cornell.edu/) in Ithaca, New York, USA and is available on subscription as electronic copy.  Both personal and institutional subscriptions rates are available, and for differing periods of time.   Only two species listed by ACAP are covered by BNA: the Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and Laysan *P. immutabilis*Albatrosses.  The original texts of these, written by G. Causey Whittow, were published in hard (paper) copy in 1993 as numbers 65 and 66, respectively.  A further 15 species accounts are available for procellariiform seabirds (Arctic Fulmar *Fulmarus glacialis*, gadfly petrels *Pterodroma* spp., shearwaters *Puffinus* spp. and storm petrels *Oceanodroma*spp.) that breed within North America (including the Hawaiian Islands).   Both original albatross accounts have now been updated by Jill Awkerman and David Anderson and republished on the Birds of North America website in June 2008 (Black-footed Albatross) and September 2009 (Laysan Albatross).   **References:**   Awkerman, J.A., Anderson, D.J. & Whittow, G.C. 2008.  Black-footed Albatross *Phoebastria**nigripes*.  In: Poole, A. (Ed).  *The Birds of North America Online*.  Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  [http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/065](http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/065).   Awkerman, J.A., Anderson, D.J. & Whittow, G.C. 2009.  Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria**immutabilis*. In: Poole, A. (Ed).  *The Birds of North America Online*.  Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  [http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/066](http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/066). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_&_Black-footed_Albatrosses.jpg "Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses")   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/laysan-and-black-footed-albatross-accounts-updated-by-the-birds-of-north-america-online.md) ## Who is the world's oldest albatross? Wisdom is now catching up with the late Grandma! UPDATED On 3 January 2010 the world's oldest known Laysan Albatross *Phoebetria immutabilis*, a banded female named "Wisdom", was sighted for the first time this breeding season on [Midway Atoll National Wildlife Reserve](http://www.fws.gov/midway/) in the USA's North-western Hawaiian Islands ([click here](http://www.fws.gov/midway/whatsnew.html) for story).   Wisdom was observed in her usual location incubating an egg and is at least 59 years old .  She was banded as a breeding adult incubating an egg at the same locality on Midway by Chandler Robbins of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USA in December 1956.  Robbins estimated that the bird was a minimum of five years old at the time.  Last year Wisdom and her mate successfully fledged a chick. ![laysan_albatross_wisdom_midway_by_usfws](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_albatross_wisdom_midway_by_usfws.jpg "The oldest known Laysan Albatross: ") The oldest known Laysan Albatross: "Wisdom" incubating on Midway.  She carries a red colour band (visible in the picture) with the number Z 333 that was fitted in 2006.  The original worn metal band was replaced in February 2002 by Chan Robbins.  Photograph by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service    The oldest known albatross in the world appears to have been a banded Northern Royal Albatross *Diomedea sanfordi* which bred for many years at [Taiaroa Head](http://www.albatross.org.nz/index.html)  on the Otago Peninsula of South Island, New Zealand and was named "Grandma" ([click here](http://moxostore.com/product/Grandma-The-Oldest-Albatross-DVD.html) for information on the DVD on her life).  She reached a banded age of 51.5 years and an actual age of at least  60 years, regularly raising chicks until the year she disappeared.   Midway forms part of the [Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument](http://www.fws.gov/midway/monument.html), which has now been submitted for World Heritage status, to be considered later this year ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/north-pacific-albatross-breeding-sites-head-for-world-heritage-status)).   Read about Wisdom's 2009 breeding session at   [http://www.fws.gov/pacific/migratorybirds/digitaljournal/albatrossjournal.html](http://www.fws.gov/pacific/migratorybirds/digitaljournal/albatrossjournal.html).  Scroll to: "Wisdom is Back! -- February 11, 2009".   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/usa-designates-new-marine-protected-areas-in-the-pacific-updated) for an earlier news story on this web site.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 March 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/who-is-the-worlds-oldest-albatross-wisdom-is-now-catching-up-with-the-late-grandma.md) ## Crossing the line: albatrosses changing hemispheres It is commonly believed that the relatively calm conditions and depauperate waters of tropical oceans act as a barrier to albatrosses from moving across the Equator between hemispheres.  With the exception of the Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata*whose breeding straddles the Equator in the Galapagos Islands, all of the World's albatrosses are primarily birds of high latitudes (although some Laysan Albatrosses *P. immutabilis* do breed within northern tropical waters).   This general rule, however, has not stopped individual albatrosses of several species changing hemispheres.  In recent years, the growing number of sea-watching or "pelagic" cruises has increase the numbers of photographed sightings of albatrosses at sea, some of which have been observed well outside their normal ranges.  Trans-equatorial records have also come from birds found dead or exhausted on shorelines and captured at sea by fishing and other vessels.   Nine species of albatrosses (out of 21 recognized by ACAP) have been reported (with acceptable records) crossing the Equator.  Nearly all of these records are of southern albatrosses (eight species) reaching the northern hemisphere, but there are two acceptable records of a Laysan Albatross crossing the Equator from north to south.   An annotated list of albatross species that have achieved the Equator-crossing feat follows.   **Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans***   Photographic records exist for California, USA (on land) and in the Gulf of Panama on the Pacific Coast of Panama (a juvenile captured at sea). Further records, either at-sea or ashore, come from the North Atlantic (France, Belgium, Portugal), Sicily and from Japan (Murphy 1938, Orlando 1958, Bourne 1966, 1967, Paxton 1968, American Ornithologists' Union 1998).  Some of the earlier records may have been of ship-assisted birds.    The Sicilian record (18 October 1963) has been described as a male and as an "immature of small subantarctic type breeding in the Tristan area" by Bourne (1967), so it may well be a Tristan Albatross *D. dabbenena*.   In addition, there are records of Wandering Albatrosses from tropical waters in the South Atlantic Ocean (Peakall 1960).  The species' wide distribution in the Southern Ocean reflects its northerly movements in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.   **Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata***   The main breeding island of Isla Española in the Galapagos at 1° 20'S is south of the Equator.  The species has been reported from Colombian (specimen record) and Panamanian waters (American Ornithologists' Union 1998).   **Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis***   There are two sightings of a Laysan Albatross in the southern Indian Ocean, in April 1983 and December 1984 (Harrison 1983, Roux 1988).  They may well have been of the same bird.   **Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos***   Individuals of this species have reached the eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States; and on the other side of the North Atlantic, Greenland, Norway and the United Kingdom (Curtis 1993, Harrop 1994, American Ornithologists' Union 1998).  See also [http://www.tristandc.com/newsof1stbritishmolly.php](http://www.tristandc.com/newsof1stbritishmolly.php) and [http://newsbou.blogspot.com/](http://newsbou.blogspot.com/).  Visit [http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob150.htm](http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob150.htm) for British records.     **Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris***   There are number of records of Black-browed Albatrosses from the North Atlantic, although sightings from the Atlantic coast of North America are not considered satisfactory (American Ornithologists' Union 1998).  Famously, records from the eastern side of the North Atlantic include perhaps a single individual (affectionately named "Albert") that has annually visited, displayed and nest-built for many years within Northern Gannet *Morus bassanus*colonies at Bass Rock, Scotland (1967-1969); Hermaness, Shetlands (1972-1994); and most recently from 2005 to 2007 on Sula Sgeir, Scotland.  Other North Atlantic records come from at-sea sightings elsewhere in the British Isles and from Greenland, the Faeroes (34 years among the gannets in the 19th century from 1860 to 1894), Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway, Germany and Spain (Bourne 1967, 1977, Cramp & Simmons 1977, Sutherland & Brooks 1979, American Ornithologists' Union 1998, British Ornithologists' Union 2006).  See also [http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob140.htm](http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob140.htm) and [http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=010007](http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=010007) for details of British records.   **Shy Albatross *Thalassarche cauta***   Shy Albatrosses have been specifically identified from photographed sightings off the coast of California and Washington, USA in August 1999 and January 2000, respectively - perhaps of the same bird (Cole 2000).  An earlier Oregon, USA photographic record of a non-adult bird was not assigned to species by Cole (2000).  A specimen of an immature Shy Albatross was obtained from the Gulf of Aqaba, Israel (as reviewed in Cole 2000).  A juvenile bird identified as a Shy Albatross from Somalian waters by Meeth & Meeth (1988) is considered by Cole (2000) to be specifically indeterminate.   **White-capped Albatross *Thalassarche steadi***   Cole (2002) in his review of North Pacific records of ‘Shy-type' albatrosses, concludes that the Washington, USA specimen record of Slipp (1952) is of a White-capped Albatross.  This appears to be the only record of a trans-equatorial crossing for the species.   **Salvin's Albatross *Thalassarche salvini***   A sub-adult Salvin's Albatross was photographed ashore on Midway Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, North Pacific in April 2003 (Robertson *et al*. 2005).  This is the only record known of this species crossing the Equator.   **Light-mantled Sooty Albatross *Phoebetria palpebrata***   A bird was photographed off central California, USA in July 1994 (Stallcup & Terrill 1996, American Ornithologist's Union 1998).  An earlier record from Oregon, USA is considered doubtful by Bourne (1967) and erroneous by the American Ornithologists' Union (1998).   **Other species**   Three reports from the Pacific Coasts of USA and Panama of Grey-headed Albatrosses *T. chrysostoma* have not been accepted by the American Ornithologist's Union (1998).  See also Bourne (1967) for doubtful western Palaearctic records for this and for other species. ** **A Black-footed Albatross *Phoebastria nigripes*has been reported from Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Mathews 1936), but Bourne (1967) considers the record highly doubtful.    With thanks to Mike Double, Australian Antarctic Division and Margaret Koopman, Niven Library, University of Cape Town.   **Selected references:**   American Ornithologists' Union 1998.  *The AOU Check-list of North American Birds**. **The Species of Birds of North America from the Arctic through Panama, including the West Indies and Hawaiian Islands*, 7th Edition.  Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union.  [http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/print.php](http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/print.php). Bourne, W.R.P. 1966.  Observations of sea birds.  *Sea Swallow* 18: 9-36. Bourne, W.R.P. 1967.  Long-distance vagrancy in the petrels.  *Ibis* 109: 141-167.  [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120816292/abstract](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120816292/abstract). Bourne, W.R.P. 1977.  Half a pair of Black-browed Albatrosses.  *British Birds* 70: 301-303. British Ornithologists' Union 2006.  The British List: a Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th Edition).  *Ibis* 148: 526-563.  [http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst1.html](http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst1.html). Cole, L.W. 2000.  A first Shy Albatross, *Thalassarche cauta*, in California and a critical re-examination of northern hemisphere records of the former *Diomedea cauta* complex.  *North American Birds* 54: 124-135. Cramp, S. & Simmons, K.E.L. (Eds) 1977.  *Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa.  The Birds of the Western Palearctic.  Vol. 1 Ostrich to Ducks.*  Oxford: Oxford University Press. Curtis, W.F. 1993.  Yellow-nosed Albatross *Diomedea chlororhynchos* off Cornwall.  *Sea Swallow* 42: 63-65. Harrison, P. 1983.  Laysan Albatross *Diomedea immutabilis*: new to the Indian Ocean.  *Cormorant* 11: 39-44. *Harrop, H. 1994.  Albatrosses in the Western Palearctic.  *Birding World* 7: 241-245. *Mathews, G.M. 1936.  *The birds of Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands*.  Supplement.  London: Witherby. Meeth, P. & Meeth, K. 1988.  A Shy Albatross off Somalia. *Sea Swallow* 37: 66. Mlodinow, S.G. 1999.  Southern hemisphere albatrosses in North American waters.  *Birders Journal* 8: 131-141. Murphy, R.C. 1938.  The Wandering Albatross in the Bay of Panama.  *Condor* 40: 126.  [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v040n03/p0126-p0126.pdf](http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v040n03/p0126-p0126.pdf). *Orlando, C. 1958.  Cattura di un Albatros Urlatore *Diomedea exulans exulans*(Linnaeus) in Sicilia.  *Rivista Italiana**di Ornitologia*28: 101-113. Paxton, R. O. 1968.  Wandering Albatross in California.  *Auk* 85: 502-504.  [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v085n03/p0502-p0504.pdf](http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v085n03/p0502-p0504.pdf). Peakall, D.B. 1960.  Tropical records of the Wandering Albatross in the Atlantic Ocean.  *Ostrich*31: 105. Roux, J.-P. 1988.  Second record of a Laysan Albatross *Diomedea immutabilis* in the Indian Ocean.  *Cormorant* 16: 56-57.  [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/16/MO_1988_11.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/16/MO_1988_11.pdf). Robertson, C.J.R., Klavitter, J. & McCarthy, R. 2005.  Salvin's Albatross (*Thalassarche salvini*) on Midway Atoll.  *Notornis* 52: 236-237.  [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_52-2005/Notornis_52_4_236.pdf](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_52-2005/Notornis_52_4_236.pdf). Slipp, J.W. 1952.  A record of the Tasmanian White-capped Albatross *Diomedea cauta cauta* in North Pacific waters. *Auk* 69: 458-459.  [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v069n04/p0458-p0459.pdf](http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v069n04/p0458-p0459.pdf). *Stallcup, R, & Terrill, S.1996.  Albatrosses and Cordell Bank.  *Birding* 28:106-110. Sutherland, W.J. & Brooks, D.J. 1979.  Nest of Black-browed Albatross in Shetland.  *British Birds* 72: 268-288.   *Not seen.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 March 2010, updated 20 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/crossing-the-line-albatrosses-changing-hemispheres.md) ## Census of incubating Tristan Albatrosses on Gough Island completed for the seventh consecutive year In what is practically their only breeding site in the world, a census of incubating Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* was recently conducted as part of Gough Island's long-term population monitoring project. Gough, situated in the South Atlantic, is part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Gough is a nature reserve of Tristan da Cunha, a Ramsar International Wetland and forms part of a World Heritage Site.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_female_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "Incubating female Tristan Albatross, Triple Peak, Gough Island. Photograph by John Cooper") The Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross is the most genetically distinct of the five wandering albatross species (Nunn & Stanley 1998) and is thought to be the third rarest albatross (Cuthbert *et al*. 2004).  As with all southern hemisphere albatrosses, Tristan Albatrosses are killed as bycatch by Southern Ocean long-line fisheries (Ryan *et al*. 2001).  Compounding the problem, breeding success is only around 27% (Cuthbert *et al*. 2004) and can drop as low as 19% some years (unpubl. data), mainly because each winter a large proportion of the chicks are attacked and killed by introduced House Mice Mus musculus (Wanless *et al*. 2007).   Complete-island censuses of incubating Tristan Albatrosses were first conducted in 1956 (Swales 1965) and yearly incubator counts have been possible since 2004.  The round-island census involves scan counts from designated vantage points, corrected using ground-counts of staked nests in two study colonies.  Although scans can be completed in three to four days, the notoriously unpredictable mountain weather frequently extends this to up to 10 days even in summer.  During this year's count we spent as much time retreating to the tent in howling fog as actually doing the count itself. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/albatross _valley_scan_gough_by_kalinka_rexer_huber.jpg "Scanning Tarn Moss on Gough for incubating Tristan Albatrosses. Photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber/Graham Parker") The 2010 count yielded a total of 1698 incubating Tristan Albatross pairs.  Although this is slightly lower than the last two years' counts (1760-1800 pairs), incubator numbers have increased from a low period during 2005-2007 (1200-1400 pairs). Since mid-March, Gough's Tristan Albatross eggs have started hatching.  Another round-island count in September will determine how many of the chicks have survived attacks by mice this winter. Search on ‘Gough' for earlier news items on the island and its ACAP-listed seabirds. **Acknowledgements** This work would not have been possible without the many field workers who have undertaken and helped with counts over the years. The study was conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, with the logistic support of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and the approval of the Tristan Conservation Department.  Funding has come from the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), Birds Australia, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), the RSPB, and the UK's Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP). **References** Cuthbert, R., Sommer, E., Ryan, P.G., Cooper, J. & Hilton, G. 2004. Demography and conservation of the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea [exulans] dabbenena*. *Biological Conservation* 117:471-481. Nunn, G.B. & Stanley, S.E. 1998. Body size effects and rates of cytochrome b evolution in tube-nosed seabirds. *Molecular Biology Evolution* 15: 1360-1371. Ryan, P.G., Cooper, J. & Glass, J.P. 2001. Population status, breeding biology and conservation of the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea [exulans] dabbenena. Bird Conservation International* 11: 33-46. Swales, M.K. 1965. The seabirds of Gough Island. *Ibis* 107: 17-42. Wanless, R.M., Angel, A., Cuthbert, R.J., Hilton, G.M. & Ryan, P.G. 2007. Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions? *Biology Letters* 3: 241-244. *Kalinka Rexer-Huber & Graham Parker, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 31 March 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/census-of-incubating-tristan-albatrosses-on-gough-island-completed-for-seventh-consecutive-year.md) ## Lots of birds: counting Midway Atoll's breeding Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses Every year since 2004 volunteers on Hawaii's [Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge](http://www.fws.gov/midway/) have counted every albatross nest.  This huge task takes three weeks.  The latest count, conducted over December 2009 to January 2010, counted Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis*for the ninth year and Black-footed Albatrosses *P. nigripes* for the 18th year since standardized surveys commenced in 1992.   Nests are marked with a paint splotch to avoid double counting.  All four islands that make up the atoll (Sand, Eastern and the Spits) are visited and their active nests counted.   The 2010 "hatch year" yielded totals of 428 090 Laysan and 23 722 Black-footed Albatross nests.  Laysan numbers were 7.9% higher than in 2009, but lower than the 2006 record of 487 527 nests.  Black-footed Albatrosses were down 1.0% on 2009.  The highest number counted for this species was 24 887 nests in 2007. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-footed_Albatross_by_James_Lloyd.jpg "Black-footed Albatross. Photograph by James Lloyd")   Information on albatross censuses on Midway, and many other observations on the island and its seabirds, may be found in the *[Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Update](http://www.fws.gov/midway/monthlyupdates.html)*.   Recent reports in the informative monthly newsletter cover oiled albatrosses on Midway, a Laysan Albatross die-off on Laysan Island of at least 60 birds in January 2010, albatross monitoring on Tern Island, banding efforts, movements of Black-footed Albatrosses between islands in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, updates on the satellite tracking of fledgling Laysan Albatrosses, deployment and recovery of geo-locators, nest building by a pair of Short-tailed Albatrosses *P. albatrus*on Midway (and a Short-tail visiting Laysan Island), and more.   With thanks to Beth Flint, Maura Naughton and Kim Rivera.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/lots-of-birds-counting-midway-atolls-breeding-laysan-and-black-footed-albatrosses.md) ## Saving seabirds: the South African hake trawl fishery achieves re-certification with Marine Stewardship Council The South African trawl fishery for hake *Merluccius* spp. has been re-certified after an initial five-year certification period by the [Marine Stewardship Council](http://www.msc.org/).  Since initial MSC certification in 2004 significant progress has been made in addressing many of the impacts of the fishery as a consequence of certification requirements.   A significant reduction in the impact of trawling on seabirds has been achieved by making the deployment of bird-scaring (*tori*) lines) a part of permit conditions - reported to have reduced seabird mortality by some 90% since 2004.  MSC certification has also led to more observers being deployed on trips out to sea.  [Click here](http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/south-african-hake-trawl-achieves-re-certification?fromsearch=1&isnewssearch=1) for more news of the re-certification. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/AC4/AC4_Cruise_Trawler_ by_Luke_Finley.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses gather behind a South African hake trawler off Cape Town. Photograph by Luke Finley") ACAP-listed species most at risk in South African waters from trawl fishery activities are Shy *Thalassarche cauta* and Black-browed *T. melanophris* Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*.  Entanglement with trawl warps and subsequent drowning was the major cause of mortality in a 2004/05 study (Watkins *et al*. 2008).   For an assessment of the risks to seabirds in South African waters from both trawl and longline fisheries [click here](http://assets.panda.org/downloads/53_understanding_and_mitigating_vulnerable_bycatch_in_southern_african_trawl_and_longlin.pdf).   **Reference:**   Watkins, B.P. Petersen, S.L. & Ryan, P.G. 2008.  Interactions between seabirds and deep-water hake trawl gear: an assessment of impacts in South African waters.  [*Animal Conservation* 11: 247-254](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121356192/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/saving-seabirds-the-south-african-hake-trawl-fishery-achieves-re-certification-with-marine-stewardship-council.md) ## Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project gets ready to sail south The [Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=13013) is about to get underway after a number of years of planning.  Aerial baiting of the island is scheduled for June this year.  The *Aurora Australia* is set to travel to the island from Hobart, Australia next month - with 305 tonnes of poison bait and four Squirrel helicopters aboard.   The project aims to eradicate rats, rabbits and mice from the island, although specially trained dogs will be used from later in the year as it is not expected that the poison will kill all the rabbits.  If the eradication exercise is wholly successful, Macquarie will be the largest island by far from which the House Mouse *Mus musculus* has been eradicated.  Success will help support the planned eradication of mice on Gough Island in the South Atlantic - where they kill large numbers of Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* chicks every year.   Removal of alien mammals from Macquarie will result in vegetation recovery and reduced erosion, indirectly helping conserve ACAP-listed species such as the Grey-headed *Thalassarche chrysostoma* and Black-browed *T. melanophris* Albatross; as well as burrow-nesting species at risk to rodent predation, including the ACAP-listed Grey Petrel *Procellaria cinerea*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/G/Grey-headed_Albatross_pair_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Grey-headed Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")     News on the eradication programme can be followed by reading the *Macquarie Dispatch*, the project's newsletter.  No. 5 of March 2010 (and all earlier issues) is available by e-mail or by visiting [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001).   [Click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=10515) to access the project's Eradication Plan.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/macquarie-island-pest-eradication-project-gets-ready-to-sail-south.md) ## Growing old gracefully: male Wandering Albatross forage farther south as they age Relatively little is known about how birds age.  A 50-year old banded albatross looks just like a 25-year old to human eyes.  No grey hairs, no missing teeth!  In a paper recently published online in [PNAS](http://www.pnas.org/) Vincent Lecomte of the [CEBC](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/) and 10 co-authors address this problem for the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans*.  Banded albatrosses on Ile de la Possession, Crozets with an age range of 6-48 years were satellite-tracked at sea and their physiological parameters that have been associated with aging were measured.   It was found that age influenced both foraging behaviour and reproductive performance.  Old males (>30 years) foraged farther south than did younger males, which did not cross the Antarctic Polar Front.  Only males appear to modify their foraging strategy with age.  No such differences were observed with females.  Old males were less active on the sea surface and returned to land with elevated levels of stress hormone, suggesting a fall in foraging efficiency. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "28-year-old banded male Wandering Albatross breeding at Marion Island. Photograph by John Cooper")    The next aging study in this species requires following changes in foraging and physiology in individual male Wanderers as they age: clearly a task for more than one generation of marine ornithologists!   Also visit [http://www.physorg.com/news188587622.html](http://www.physorg.com/news188587622.html) for a review of the paper.   **Reference:**   Lecomte, V.J., Sorci, G., Cornet, S., Jaeger, A., Faivre, B., Arnoux, E., Gaillard, M., Trouvé, C., Besson, D., Chastel, O. & Weimerskirch, H. 2010.  Patterns of aging in the long-lived Wandering Albatross.  *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, of the United States of America*.  Published online doi: 10.1073/pnas.0911181107 [http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/03/11/0911181107.full.pdf+html](http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/03/11/0911181107.full.pdf+html).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/growing-old-gracefully-male-wandering-albatross-forage-farther-south-as-they-age.md) ## World Migratory Bird Day to be held next month with four Critically Endangered albatrosses identified for action World Migratory Bird Day will be held for the fifth time in 2010, over 8-9 May.  This year the theme will be "Save migratory birds in crisis - every species counts!"   [World Migratory Bird Day](http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/) aims to inspire people to take action for the conservation of migratory birds and encourages national authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), clubs and societies, universities, schools and individuals around the world to organize events and programmes, which help draw attention to migratory birds around a central theme each year.   The WMBD web site identifies four Critically Endangered albatrosses as candidate species for arranging events.  They are the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena*, Amsterdam Albatross *D. amsterdamensis*, Chatham Albatross *Thalassarche eremita* and the Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata* ([click here](http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=28#Tristan_Albatross)).  The Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, a potential candidate species for listing within ACAP, is also recommended as a migratory species to be covered by the 2010 World Migratory Bird Day. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Amsterdam_Albatross_by_Scott_Shaffer.jpg "Amsterdam Albatross. Photograph by Scott Shaffer")  ACAP will post new items received about WMBD activities that have relevance to the conservation of listed albatrosses and petrels.  Send them to [John.Cooper@acap.aq](mailto:John.Cooper@acap.aq).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/world-migratory-bird-day-to-be-held-next-month-with-four-critically-endangered-albatrosses-identified-for-action.md) ## French sub-Antarctic longline fishery seeks Marine Stewardship Council accreditation A longline fishery for Patagonian Toothfish *Dissostichus eleginoides* takes place within the Economic Exclusive Zones of the French Île Crozet and Îles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean.  The total 2009/10 landings for this fishery were 5800 tonnes, representing the full TAC allocation.   The Reunion Freezer Longliner Shipowners Association (Syndicat des Armements Réunionnais de Palangriers Congélateurs; SARPC) has entered the assessment process for certification by the [Marine Stewardship Council](http://www.msc.org/) ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/southern-ocean/SARPC-toothfish/SARPC-toothfish/?searchterm=Kerguelen)).  SARPC represents six fishing companies that are licensed to fish within the French EEZs of the Kerguelen plateau and around the Crozets.  These fishing companies operate seven longline vessels from the French Island of Réunion.   As a longline fishery in the Southern Ocean, procellariiform seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels listed within ACAP, are at risk from the SARPC fishery, with White-chinned *Procellaria aequinoctialis* and Grey *P. cinerea* Petrels being noticeably affected.  [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/demographic-and-bycatch-research-on-albatrosses-and-petrels-at-french-sub-antarctic-islands) for an earlier ACAP news item that lists recent scientific papers that describe seabird mortality and mitigation measures in place for the SARPC fishery.   The certification body is [MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd](http://www.macalister-elliott.com).  The SARPC toothfish fishery has now entered the information gathering phase of the assessment with meetings with representatives of the fishery, fishery managers and other stakeholders taken place in early February 2010 in Paris, France.  Assessment is expected to be complete by October this year. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/white_chinned_petrel_hooked_by nicolas_gasco.jpg "White-chinned Petrel caught on a longline hook. Photograph by Nicolas Gasco")   Another southern fishery currently seeking MSC certification is that for Tristan Rock Lobster *Jasus tristani* in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom's Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/south-atlantic/tristan-da-cunha-rock-lobster/?searchterm=Tristan)).  Unlike longline fisheries, however, this fishery, which uses traps and hoop nets, is not considered to have adverse effects on ACAP-listed species such as the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* and the Spectacled Petrel *P. conspicillata*, both endemic to the Tristan Group ([Ryan *et al.* 1991](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-48Y1MW3-8P&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F1991&_rdoc=6&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235798%231991%23999429996%23438357%23FLP%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5798&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=13&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=528a26cb534d427802d8323445548953)).  The stakeholder meeting for this fishery was held in Cape Town, South Africa on 6 April 2010 when the risks to Tristan seabirds and their island habitats were discussed.   With thanks to Jo Gascoigne, MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/french-sub-antarctic-longline-fishery-seeks-marine-stewardship-council-accreditation.md) ## Final preparations for AC5: News from Argentina The Fifth Meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee (AC5) starts Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at the Uthgra Sasso Hotel, Mar del Plata, Argentina. The final adjustments are taking place at the hotel. Prior to the AC5 meeting several working groups (Status & Trends, Seabird Bycatch and Breeding Sites) will meet from 8 - 10 April. The Status & Trends and Seabird Bycatch Working Goups will assemble at the Sala de Juntas Room and the Las Arenas Room on 8 April, respectively. The Sala de Juntas Room perfectly fits the number of people involved in the STWG. The Las Arenas Room has a bigger capacity (100 pax), thus sufficient room is available for the two-day meeting of the SBWG starting on 8 April. The Secretariat has an executive room available, already converted into their work bunker. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/AC5/ac5_meeting_preparation_by_juan_pablo_seco_pon.jpg) Photo: Final details for the AC5 meeting are discussed between ACAP personnel from the Uthgra Sasso Hotel at Mar del Plata. From right to left: Barry Baker (SBWG Convener), Marco Favero (Chair ACAP Advisory Committee), Carolina Barrientos (Commercial Department Uthgra Sasso Hotel), Warren Papworth (ACAP Executive Secretary), Luke Finley (ACAP Web Administrator) and Sofía Copello (Local Secretariat). Photo: Juan Pablo Seco Pon. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, South American News Correspondent, 07 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/final-preparations-for-ac5-news-from-argentina.md) ## New FAO Technical Guidelines intended to save seabirds: Best practices to reduce incidental catch of seabirds in capture fisheries In 2009 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ([FAO](http://www.fao.org)) released new technical guidelines for responsible fisheries with regard to seabird conservation. These guidelines are known as Best Practices to Reduce Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Capture Fisheries. The guidelines have been produced to support implementation of the International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-Seabirds). They encompass interactions of seabirds with longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries, whether they are industrial or artisanal fisheries. These guidelines are addressed to decision-makers and policy-makers associated with conserving seabirds and with minimizing their interaction with fishing gears. In this sense, the guidelines have been prepared to (1) assist countries in preparing and implementing a more effective NPOA-Seabirds, (2) provide RFMOs with guidance on implementing an IPOA-Seabirds within a regional framework, and (3) address incidental mortality of seabirds from relevant fishing gear. The guidelines are available at: [http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/publications/en.](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/publications/en) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/ben_sullivan_fao_tech_guidelines_by_juan_pablo_seco_pon.jpg) Figure. Dr. Ben Sullivan showing the FAO document presented at the Seabird Bycatch Working Group prior to the AC5 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Photo: Juan Pablo Seco Pon. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, South American News Correspondent, 09 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-fao-technical-guidelines-intended-to-save-seabirds-best-practices-to-reduce-incidental-catch-of-seabirds-in-capture-fisheries.md) ## News of the Fifth Advisory Committee meeting in Mar del Plata, Argentina, 13-17 April 2010 The Fifth Meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee (AC5) started on Tuesday 13 April 2010, at the Uthgra Sasso Hotel, Mar del Plata, Argentina. The meeting was officially opened by local authorities, with attendance by the Mayor of Mar del Plata and staff from the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina. The Fifth Meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee was declared of importance by the Honourable Council of the City of Mar del Plata.  AC5 thus receives full local support from the host city. In terms of attendance, all but three Parties to ACAP sent their national delegates to AC5. Thus, a good number of Parties to ACAP have expressed their intention to participate actively in the on-going conservation of albatrosses and petrels. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/AC5/ac5_warren.jpg) Warren Papworth (ACAP Executive Secretary) holds the official declaration of interest by the Honorable Deliverance Council of the City of Mar del Plata. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, ACAP South American News Correspondent, 13 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-ac5-has-commenced-in-mar-del-plata-a-good-start.md) ## Numbers of Wandering Albatrosses breeding in the South Atlantic down in 2010 Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* censuses have been undertaken again this year on Albatross and Prion Islands in the Bay of Isles, and on Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*.   The Wandering Albatross populations in the Bay of Isles have dropped notably since 1984, with that of Prion Island nearly halving over this 25-year period from 60 to 33 breeding pairs, and the Albatross Island breeding population dropping by a quarter, from 171 to 129 pairs.  The combined figures are the lowest recorded to date.   Last year (2009) the 31 eggs counted on Prion Island in January produced 27 chicks which survived until at least October, when the last chick count was undertaken. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_Rainbow_by_Marienne_de_Villiers1.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers")   The Wandering Albatross census of Bird Island was undertaken in February, with only 697 active nests counted, the lowest number on record.  Very strong winds during January caused large numbers of nests to fail early in the breeding season, which appeared to be one of the main causes of the low count.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, Sally Poncet, South Georgia Surveys**& Stacey Adlard, British Antarctic Survey.  20 April 2010* * * *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. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/numbers-of-wandering-albatrosses-breeding-in-the-south-atlantic-down-in-2010.md) ## A visit to Albatross Valley, Prince Edward Island, home of the Wanderer The Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean form the first sub-Antarctic Ramsar Wetland Site of International Importance in the sub-Antarctic, designated by South Africa on 22 May 2007 as No. 1688.  The larger of the two islands, Marion, supports a weather station with a team that is relieved annually.  The smaller island, also named Prince Edward, is uninhabited and rarely visited, and then only under strict environmental conditions to avoid introducing new alien species.   From 14-19 April 2010 a party of six researchers visited Prince Edward Island to undertake research and surveys on birds, seals, invertebrates and historical sites from the sealing era.   As part of the bird work, a near-complete count was made of brooding Wandering Albatrosses *Diomedea exulans*.  The two Prince Edward Islands support approximately 44% of this globally threatened species, at risk from being drowned on longline fishing hooks.  A single locality on Prince Edward Island, Albatross Valley, supported 1000 to 1200 annually breeding pairs in the 2002 and 2009 breeding seasons, respectively, representing 12-14% of the world annual breeding population of 8500 pairs.  Nearly all these nests can be viewed from a single vantage spot: surely one of the most impressive avian spectacles in the world.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/wandering_albatross_albatross_valley_by_john_cooper.jpg "Wandering Albatross tending a downy chick in Albatross Valley, Prince Edward Island")   On 15 April, 1286 occupied nests were counted in Albatross Valley, most containing either chicks on their own, or being brooded by adults.  The scene looked idyllic and no different to what it must have looked before the island's discovery at the end of the 18th century.  But the presence of a longline fishing hook next to an occupied nest elsewhere on the island showed that Prince Edward's Wanderers remain at risk: as does the species worldwide. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/albatross_valley_prince_edward_island_by_john_cooper.jpg "Albatross Valley, Prince Edward Island, with just a few of its over a thousand pairs of breeding Wanderers. Photograph by John Cooper")   While on the island efforts were made to fill in the gaps of a survey commenced in 2008 of the number of White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*burrows.  Once added to a similar survey recently conducted on Marion Island, the Prince Edward Islands will be one of the few breeding localities for this ACAP-listed burrowing petrel where a better than an order-of-magnitude estimate of its population size will be available.   **References:**   Ryan, P.G., Cooper, J., Dyer, B.M., Underhill, L.G., Crawford, R.J.M. & Bester, M.N. 2003. Counts of surface-nesting seabirds breeding at sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Island, summer 2001/02. *African Journal of Marine Science*25: 441-451. Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W. Dyer,B.M., Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M. 2009.  Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels breeding at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands.  *African Journal of Marine Science*31: 409-417.   *John Cooper, Stellenbosch University and Bruce Dyer, Azwianewi Makhado and Leshia Upfold, Marine & Coastal Management, Department of Environmental Affairs, 21 April 2010.* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/a-visit-to-albatross-valley-prince-edward-island-home-of-the-wanderer.md) ## A significant milestone: ACAP completes Species Assessment texts for all 29 listed albatrosses and petrels With the addition of ACAP Species Assessment texts for the Black-footed *P. nigripes* and Laysan *Phoebastria immutabilis* Albatrosses to the ACAP web site this month ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)) a milestone has been reached with up-to-date and authoritative accounts now available for all 29 listed species of albatrosses and petrels.   The Species Assessments cover such aspects as taxonomy, breeding and at-sea distributions, population sizes by localities and conservation threats and needs, along with a selected bibliography. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_black-footed_midway_by_eric_vanderwerf.jpg "Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses, Midway Island. Photograph by Eric Vanderwerf")     This large task, which has taken more than two years to complete, has been led by ACAP's Science Officer, Dr Wiesława Misiak, with inputs drafting and reviewing texts from a large number of experts from both within and outside the ACAP community - as acknowledged in the individual species' texts.  Grateful thanks are due to all.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/a-significant-milestone-acap-completes-species-assessment-texts-for-all-29-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels.md) ## Conservation Measure 15/09: On Reducing Incidental By-catch of Seabirds in the SEAFO Convention Area: full text now available In an earlier report on this web site (clic[k here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/seafo-strengthens-its-conservation-measure-to-include-bycatch-of-seabirds-in-trawl-gear)) information was given on the revised conservation measure for reducing seabird mortality adopted by the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization ([SEAFO](http://www.seafo.org)) at its 2009 meeting.   The full text of the new **Conservation Measure 15/09 On Reducing Incidental By-catch of Seabirds in the SEAFO Convention Area** is now available ([click here](http://www.seafo.org/Cons%20&%20Mngt%20Measures/2009%20conservation%20measures/Conservation%20Measure%2015-09%20Seabirds.pdf)).   Importantly, the revised measure gives protection to birds attending trawl fisheries, as well as covering longlines - as in the earlier SEAFO Conservation Measure 05/06, which has now been repealed. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-browed Albatross following boat by Graham Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses follow a South Atlantic trawler: Photograph by Graham Robertson")     See also [http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/04/South-Atlantic-becomes-more-seabird-friendly.html](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/04/South-Atlantic-becomes-more-seabird-friendly.html).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/conservation-measure-1509-on-reducing-incidental-by-catch-of-seabirds-in-the-seafo-convention-area-full-text-now-available.md) ## Banded Antipodean Albatross visits a South Atlantic island An Antipodean Albatross *Diomedea a. antipodensis*carrying New Zealand band R-56102/W753 was photographed ashore on Wanderer Ridge, Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* on 24 March 2010 by Derren Fox.   The bird was banded as a large chick close to fledging on 1 January 2004 on Antipodes Island south of New Zealand by Kath Walker and Graeme Elliott, so was a subadult of seven years of age and considered to be a female from its plumage when it landed on Bird Island.  It has not previously been seen back at the Antipodes since it fledged.   Antipodean Albatrosses, also known as Antipodean Wandering Albatrosses, have been seen ashore away from their breeding island on Macquarie, Campbell and Chatham Islands, breeding in small numbers at the last two islands.  However, this is the first record of one ashore outside the Pacific Ocean.  Satellite-tracked Antipodean Albatrosses (but only males so far in their non-breeding season) have travelled eastwards to Chilean waters.  None has yet gone around Cape Horn into the South Atlantic. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/antipodean_albatross_bird_island1_by_derren_fox.jpg "Antipodean Albatross on Bird Island. Photograph by Derren Fox.")   [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) for the ACAP Species Assessment for the Antipodean Albatross, which maps at-sea distribution from satellite tracking.  See also BirdLife International's albatross tracking report at [http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/tracking_ocean_wanderers.pdf](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/tracking_ocean_wanderers.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/antipodean_albatross_bird_island2_by_derren_fox.jpg "Antipodean and Wandering Albatrosses together on Bird Island. Photograph by Derren Fox")   **Reference:**   Walker, K. & Elliott, G. 2006.  At-sea distribution of Gibson's and Antipodean Wandering Albatrosses, and relationships with longline fisheries.  [*Notornis* 53: 265-290](http://www.notornis.org.nz/abstract.php?volume_issue=n53_3&first_page=265).   With thanks to Derren Fox, Richard Phillips and Kath Walker.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 April 2010* * * *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. * * [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/banded-antipodean-albatross-visits-a-south-atlantic-island.md) ## How often should Wandering Albatross chicks be weighed (and how many) in a comparative study? Steven Candy and John van den Hoff, based at the Australian Antarctic Division, use historic Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* chick-growth data from a South Atlantic breeding locality gathered in the 1960s by albatross pioneer, Lance Tickell to address the question above.   The authors consider that special emphasis should be placed on determining optimal sampling regimes to detect statistically significant differences in key indicators between populations for species with high conservation values, especially when invasive handling techniques are the only method of gathering data.  In procellariiform nestlings one such key indicator is peak mass, which serves as a measure of parental investment and is an important factor for future survival.   They show that the most efficient regime for detecting a difference between populations or cohorts of Wanderer chicks was 15 birds sampled every third day.    ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_Aleks Terauds.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")    **Reference:**   Candy, S.G. & van den Hoff, J. 2010.  Optimal sampling regime for detecting significant differences in peak mass of chicks: a case study with the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans.  Endangered Species Research*11: 167-173.  [http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2010/11/n011p167.pdf](http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2010/11/n011p167.pdf). * * *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/how-often-should-wandering-albatross-chicks-be-weighed-and-how-many-in-a-comparative-study.md) ## Albino Laysan Albatross chicks on Midway Atoll Albino or otherwise oddly coloured albatrosses seem to be rare animals.  Years ago, I remember seeing a unusual Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* fledgling on South Africa's Marion Island (coincidentally where this story is being written), which instead of being the usual brown chocolate colour, was a rather attractive silvery-grey.  The bird was in the Goney Plain long-term study colony, so was banded before it fledged.  However, it was never seen again to see what it might look like in adult plumage.   A recent report of true albinos, of several Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis* chicks, comes from Sand Island, part of the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the North Pacific ([click here](http://www.fws.gov/midway/updateFeb2010.pdf)).  At least two of these have fledged, but have also not been seen again as adults.   The Midway report considers survival rates of wild albino animals to be generally low, because they are easily preyed upon and are further handicapped by a high sensitivity to sunlight. A special case is the presence of a white-phase individuals in some Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* populations.  There are very rare at Marion Island, with only a few records, and have never been seen ashore at Gough Island, whereas at more southerly breeding sites they are not uncommon.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_hatchling_Clarion_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "A normal-coloured Laysan Albatross. Photograph by Ross Wanless")   Details of unusually coloured albatrosses and petrels, along with pictures, will be welcomed for posting to this web site.  Send them to [John.Cooper@acap.aq](mailto:John/Cooper@acap.aq).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/albino-laysan-albatross-chicks-on-midway-atoll.md) ## Satellite-tracking Argentinean Southern Giant Petrels Three Argentinean marine ornithologists, led by Flavio Quintana, have recently published in the journal *[Marine Biology](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/227)* on the at-sea behaviour and marine habitat use of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* breeding in Patagonia, Argentina by means of satellite telemetry.   They found that adult breeders showed a wide distribution over the Patagonian Shelf, using 74% of its surface.  The maximum distance travelled from the colonies was 683 km, but on average birds moved no more than 200 km away from their colony.  Important marine areas were located in the shelf break, middle shelf and coastal waters.  Areas of activity by sex overlapped between 35 and 94%.  Females foraged primarily away from the coast and males mainly in coastal areas.  Both sexes were capable of flying up to 4000 km but most of the foraging trips were of less than 200 km.  Their results emphasize the importance of the Patagonian Shelf as a foraging habitat for pelagic seabirds and contribute to international efforts to identify and protect a network of marine sites. [taken from the abstract]. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_by_Flavio_Quintana.jpg "An Argentinean Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Flavio Quintana")  **Reference:**   Quintana, F., Dell'Arciprete, O.P. & Copello, S. 2010.  Foraging behavior and habitat use by the Southern Giant Petrel on the Patagonian Shelf.  [*Marine Biology* 157: 515-525](http://springerlink.com/content/081808m711kl933p/?p=bd728eb895fe49a4ac8da514e8509949&pi=6.).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/satellite-tracking-argentinean-southern-giant-petrels.md) ## Good news from the south-west Atlantic: Argentina adopts a National Plan of Action-Seabirds Argentina is one of several South American countries that are Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and which holds a great diversity and abundance of procellariiform seabirds within its waters. Very recently, Argentina announced the adoption of its National Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds ([NPOA-Seabirds](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en)) which was approved by the Federal Fisheries Council (Resolution 03/2010). The NPOA is framed within the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidentral Catch of Seabirds In Longline Fisheries and follows the objectives of the Agreement. The drafting of the NPOA-Seabirds was possible thanks to a number of actions led by the Federal Fisheries Council since 2001, and by a technical document elaborated by researchers at national universities (National University of Mar del Plata and National University of Southern Patagonia) and the National Research Council (CONICET), as well as with inputs from a number of workshops conducted with the participation of researchers, government and NGOs. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/black-browed albatross flying by juan pablo seco pon.jpg) Black-browed Albatross in the South West Atlantic. Photograph by Juan Pablo Seco Pon. [Click here](http://www.cfp.gov.ar/resoluciones/anexo_res03-10.pdf) for a full version of the Resolution by the Federal Fisheries Council. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, ACAP South American News Correspondent, 28 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/good-news-from-the-south-west-atlantic-argentina-adopts-a-national-plan-of-action-seabirds.md) ## Breeding Grey-headed Albatrosses feed their chicks better food than they consume themselves A combined French and South African study published online in the journal *[Marine Biology](http://springerlink.com/content/100441/)* this month shows clear differences in diet quality between breeding Grey-headed Albatross *Thalassarche chrysostoma* and their chicks at South Africa's sub-Antarctic Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean in April 2006.   Diets of adults and chicks were assessed using stable isotope ratios and fatty acid profiles of blood and/or stomach oils, in addition to stomach content analysis.  Fish of the family Macrouridae and cephalopods (particularly the onychoteuthid squid *Kondakovia longimana*) were the primary prey, whereas crustaceans (Antarctic Krill *Euphausia superba*) represented a smaller proportion of the stomach contents.   Chicks were found to be fed at a higher trophic level, receiving nutritious fish with adults keeping much of the less nutritious zooplankton for themselves. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/G/Grey-headed-Albatross-fledgling_by_Marienne_de_Villiers_panorama.jpg "A fledgling Grey-headed Albatross at Marion Island. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers")     **Reference:**   Richoux, N.B., Jaquemet, S., Bonnevie, B.T., Cherel, Y. & McQuaid, C.D. 2010.  Trophic ecology of Grey-headed Albatrosses from Marion Island, Southern Ocean: insights from stomach contents and diet tracers.  *Marine Biology*  [DOI 10.1007/s00227-010-1488-y](http://springerlink.com/content/lt5n35420m885535/?p=33f5c7b9f86144c8a78c88436be40f25&pi=0).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 April 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/breeding-grey-headed-albatrosses-feed-their-chicks-better-food-than-they-consume-themselves.md) ## The ACAP Information Officer is still in the sub-Antarctic Following a month's spell conducting historical research on both the South African Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, ACAP's honorary Information Officer sails for Cape Town tomorrow on the m.v. *S.A. Agulhas*. Posting of news items to this web site will resume soon after his return in a little over a week's time. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "Breeding Wandering Albatross on Marion Island, with little-visited Prince Edward Island on the horizon. Photograph by John Cooper") *John Cooper, at Marion Island, 11 May 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-acap-information-officer-is-still-in-the-sub-antarctic.md) ## Peru appoints a new National Contact Point for ACAP Peru's new National Contact Point for ACAP is Councillor Elizabeth González Porturas of the Ministry for External Relations.  She replaces Councillor Vladimiro Beteta who also works for the Peruvian Ministry for External Relations.   ACAP welcomes the Councillor to her new position and thanks Vladimiro Beteta for his involvement with the Agreement in the past.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved_Albatross_flying_by_Barry_Baker.jpg "Waved Albatross. Photograph by Barry Baker")   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 May 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/peru-appoints-a-new-national-contact-point-for-acap.md) ## ACAP calls for project applications to improve conservation status of listed species Applications are sought for research and project funding that will assist the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) to meet its objective of achieving and maintaining a favourable conservation status for albatrosses and petrels.   Total funding of approximately AUD$ 100 000 is available for allocation from the Advisory Committee (AC) Work Programme budget in 2010.   Applications must be submitted on an [ACAP Project Application Form](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/secretariat/project-applications/view-category). When assessing project applications, preference will be given to projects that address elements of the AC Work Programme. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/secretariat/project-applications/view-category) for information on these elements of the work programme. Innovative proposals making a substantive contribution to the Agreement's objective will also be considered.   Limited funding may also be available for projects which address other elements of the Advisory Committee's Work Programme. Applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant Working Group Convenor to discuss the development and relevance of their application to ensure it addresses the requirements of the AC Work Programme.   Applications opened on 19 May 2010 and close on 16 July 2010.   Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their applications by 1 October 2010.   *ACAP Secretariat, 31 May 2010*   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan1.jpg "Grey Petrel at sea. Photograph by Peter Ryan") [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-calls-for-project-applications-to-improve-conservation-status-of-listed-species.md) ## New Zealand reports on seabirds killed by its fisheries in 2006/07 The New Zealand Department of Conservation has recently published on its [web site](http://www.doc.govt.nz) its latest autopsy report on seabirds killed in New Zealand fisheries.  The report was written by David Thompson of NIWA (the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research).   The abstract follows:   "Large numbers of seabirds frequent New Zealand commercial fishing waters.  The accurate determination of the taxa of seabirds captured in New Zealand fisheries is vital for examining the potential threat to population viability posed by incidental fisheries captures.  Further, the assessment of the age-class, sex and provenance of captured individuals requires autopsy in the majority of cases. Between 1 October 2006 and 30 September 2007 (the 2006/07 fishing year), a total of 324 seabirds comprising 22 taxa were incidentally killed as bycatch and returned for autopsy by on-board New Zealand government fisheries observers.   Birds were returned from longline, trawl and setnet vessels.  Seabirds returned during the 2006/07 fishing year were dominated numerically by two species (Sooty Shearwater *Puffinus griseus*and White-capped Albatross *Thalassarche steadi*).  Most birds (76%) returned from longline fisheries had injuries consistent with being hooked or entangled in the bill or throat, while most birds (70%) returned from trawl fisheries were killed through entanglement in the net.  Warp interaction was the likely cause of death in 29% of trawl specimens.  Mean fat scores were generally higher in birds from the 2006/07 fishing year than in most previous years, although mean fat scores were lower in 2006/07 than in 2005/06.  Seabirds returned from the 2006/07 fishing year, and from trawl fisheries in particular, showed clear size-related differences in the likely cause of death, and offal appears to continue to be an attractant for many taxa."   [Click here](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/dmcs3entire.pdf) to view the whole report.  A paper copy is available on request.   A search on "[autopsy](http://www.doc.govt.nz/publications/science-and-technical/new-publications/)" on the DOC web site will lead to previous annual reports on seabirds reported killed in New Zealand fisheries going back to 1996. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White-capped Albatross nest byDavid Thompson.jpg "White-capped Albatross. Photograph by David Thompson")   **Reference:**   Thompson, D.R. 2010.  Autopsy report for seabirds killed and returned from observed New Zealand fisheries: 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007.  [*DOC Marine Conservation Services Series* No. 3](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/dmcs3entire.pdf).  37 pp.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 May 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-zealand-reports-on-seabirds-killed-by-its-fisheries-in-200607.md) ## ACAP publishes on its listing of North Pacific albatrosses in Marine Ornithology From time to time ACAP publishes articles in the international seabird science and conservation journal *[Marine Ornithology](http://www.marineornithology.org)* in an attempt to bring its activities to a wider audience. The latest paper ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/37_3/37_3_189-191.pdf)) reports on the 2009 inclusion of the three North Pacific albatrosses within the Agreement, bringing full coverage of the family by ACAP. The paper's abstract follows: "The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels at the Third Session of its Meeting of Parties held in Bergen, Norway, April/ May 2009, added the three North Pacific albatrosses, the Short-tailed *Phoebastria albatrus,*the Laysan *P. immutabilis*and the Black-footed *P. nigripes,*to Annex 1 of the Agreement. It is believed that this listing will result in benefits to both domestic and international efforts to conserve these and other albatrosses and petrels already listed under the Agreement."     ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_Pair_Clarion_by_Ross_Wanless.JPG "Laysan Albatross pair on Mexico's Clarion Island. Photograph by Ross Wanless")   ACAP-related publications in *Marine Ornithology* to date are listed below. **References:** COOPER, J., BAKER, G.B., DOUBLE, M.C., GALES, R., PAPWORTH, W., TASKER, M.L. & WAUGH, S.M. 2006. The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels: rationale, history, progress and the way forward. *Marine Ornithology*34: 1-5. [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/34_1/34_1_1-5.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/34_1/34_1_1-5.pdf). COOPER, J. & BAKER, G.B. 2008. Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. *Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8. [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). COOPER, J., MORGAN, K.H. & TASKER, M.L. 2009. Listing North Pacific albatrosses within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. *Marine Ornithology*37: 189-191. [http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/37_3/37_3_189-191.pdf](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/37_3/37_3_189-191.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 May 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-publishes-on-its-listing-of-north-pacific-albatrosses-in-marine-ornithology.md) ## You read it here first! The Fifth Albatross and Petrel Conference to be held in New Zealand in 2012 The ACAP web site is pleased to announce a world exclusive: the Fifth International Conference on the Biology and Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (IAPC5) will be held during August 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand.   The conference follows on from the four previous albatross and petrel conferences, held in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia in 1995; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (2000); Montevideo, Uruguay (2004); and Cape Town, South Africa (2008).   The organization of IAPC5 will be lead by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research ([NIWA](http://www.niwa.co.nz/home)). The current contact person for the conference is Dr David Thompson at [d.thompson@niwa.co.nz](mailto:d.thompson@niwa.co.nz). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/pyramid_chathams_by_david_thompson.jpg "Pyramid Rock, Chatham Islands, New Zealand, home of the Chatham Albatross. Photograph by Paul Scofield") NIWA is a Crown-owned research and consultancy company, with a global reputation as experts in water and atmospheric research. Its mission is to conduct leading environmental science to enable the sustainable management of natural resources for New Zealand and the planet.   A more detailed notice is expected shortly, along with the establishment of a web site for the conference. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/chatham_albatrosses_pyramid2_by_david_thompson.jpg "Chatham Albatrosses breeding on the Pyramid. Photograph by Paul Scofield") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/you-read-it-here-first-the-fifth-albatross-and-petrel-conference-to-be-held-in-new-zealand-in-2012.md) ## Report of ACAP's Fifth Advisory Committee meeting now available The final report of the Fifth Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee is now available ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/meeting-documents/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-draft-report/view-category)).   The meeting was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina over the period 13-17 April 2010. The final report includes reports of meetings and activities of the Advisory Committee's four working groups, three of which met immediately before AC5.   At the meeting, the Advisory Committee's chief officers (Chair, Marco Favero of Argentina and Vice-Chair, Mark Tasker of the United Kingdom), as well as the convenors of the four working groups, were re-elected unopposed for a further two-year period. The next meeting of the Advisory Committee (AC6) is scheduled to be hosted by Ecuador in August 2011. At AC5 Peru reaffirmed its offer to host the Fourth Session of the Meeting of Parties to the Agreement. [![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/acap personalities_web.jpg "ACAP Advisory Committee personalities. Photographs and montage by Marcelo García")](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/PDF_Docs/En/acap_personalities_low_res_web.pdf) The faces of ACAP!  Marcelo Garcia of Chile has kindly provided this masterpiece which illustrates the many personalities involved in ACAP meetings ([download larger version here](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/PDF_Docs/En/acap_personalities_low_res_web.pdf)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/report-of-acaps-fifth-advisory-committee-meeting-now-available.md) ## New publications on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels Five scientific papers on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels have recently been published electronically in Volume 37, No. 3 of the open-access journal *[Marine Ornithology](http://www.marineornithology.org/).* [Click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?vol=current) to download the PDFs. Back numbers of the journal are also available on the web site from Volume 16 of 1988. **References:** BUGONI, L. & FURNESS, R.W. 2009. Ageing immature Atlantic Yellow-nosed *Thalassarche chlororhynchos*and Black-browed *T. melanophris*Albatrosses in wintering grounds using bill colour and moult. *Marine Ornithology* 37: 249-252. BUGONI, L. & FURNESS, R.W. 2009. Age composition and sexual size dimorphism of albatrosses and petrels off Brazil. *Marine Ornithology* 37: 253-260. FORSTER, I.P. & PHILLIPS, R.A. 2009. Influence of nest location, density and topography on breeding success in the Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris.* *Marine Ornithology* 37: 213-217. SANTORA, J.A., DIETRICH, K.S. & LOMBARD, D. 2009. Fishing activity and seabird vessel attendance near the northern Antarctic Peninsula. *Marine Ornithology* 37: 241-244. ZAVALAGA, C.B., ENGBLOM, G., ALFARO-SHIGUETO, J. & MANGEL, J. 2009. Immature Northern Giant Petrels *Macronectes halli*visiting the coast of Peru. *Marine Ornithology* 37: 237-240. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-publications-on-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels.md) ## Satellite-tracked Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses follow oceanographic cues Michelle Kappes and her co-authors used satellite trackers on Hawaiian Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses over four breeding seasons to search for changes in foraging behaviour in relation to climatic and oceanographic variability.  Their findings have recently appeared in a paper published on line in the journal *[Progress in Oceanography](http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/422/description#description)*. The paper's abstract follows: "We studied the foraging behavior and marine habitats used by Laysan (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) and Black-footed (*Phoebastria nigripes*) Albatrosses, during four consecutive breeding seasons to investigate whether these marine predators changed habitat preferences, foraging distributions, or both, in accordance with natural interannual variability in the marine environment. We used satellite telemetry to track a total of 37 Laysan and 36 Black-footed Albatrosses during the incubation periods of 2002-2006 at Tern Island, Northwest Hawaiian Islands. First passage time analysis was used to determine search effort of individual albatrosses along their respective tracks, and this metric was then related to oceanographic habitat variables using linear mixed-effects regression. The majority of individuals traveled to pelagic waters of the North Pacific, with Laysan Albatrosses demonstrating a more northwesterly distribution from the breeding colony. Laysan Albatrosses traveled farther, for longer periods, and demonstrated greater interannual variability in trip characteristics than Black-footed Albatrosses. For Laysan Albatrosses, maximum trip distance was negatively correlated with body mass change during foraging and overall breeding success. There was considerable interspecific segregation of foraging habitats, and low overlap of foraging distributions between years. For all years, and both species, sea surface temperature was consistently the most important environmental variable predicting search effort of albatrosses, suggesting that both species use similar environmental cues when searching for prey. In the context of climate variability, our results suggest that Hawaiian albatrosses demonstrate flexibility in foraging strategies and track preferred marine habitats. However, adjusting foraging behavior to climatic variability may have energetic and subsequent reproductive consequences."   **Reference:** Michelle A. Kappes, Scott A. Shaffer, Yann Tremblay, David G. Foley, Daniel M. Palacios, Patrick W. Robinson, Steven J. Bograd & Daniel P. Costa 2010. Hawaiian albatrosses track interannual variability of marine habitats in the North Pacific. *Progress in Oceanography*([click here](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V7B-4YYRMHX-2&_user=10&_coverDate=04%2F29%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1ffeb4694e81644466903f3561ec88c7)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_black-footed_midway_by_eric_vanderwerf.jpg "Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses fly together. Photograph by Eric Vanderwerf") Thanks to Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent for the alert. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/satellite-tracked-black-footed-and-laysan-albatrosses-follow-oceanographic-cues.md) ## Dr John Warham, pioneer albatross and petrel researcher: 11 October 1919 - 12 May 2010 With great regret, but also with great respect and in grateful memory of a life well lived in the service of marine ornithology, ACAP marks the passing, in his 90th year, of Dr John Warham MNZM, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, DSc in Christchurch, New Zealand after a long illness. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/john_warham.jpg "John Warham, seabird biologist, 11 October 1919 - 12 May 2010") His long career photographing, researching and publishing on seabirds, especially on the procellariiforms and penguins of New Zealand, culminated in the publication of no less than two monographic reviews of the former group of birds in 1990 and 1996 (see below). His last service to seabird researchers was the production of a comprehensive key-worded bibliography of the Procellariiformes, kept up-to-date until 1995, and still available on the web site of the University of Canterbury where John held the academic position of Reader until 1987 ([click here](http://www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/people/warham/warham_res.shtml)). The bibliography lists no less than 14 387 key-worded papers and books alphabetically by authors' names, from Aarde to Zwinenberg (see also [http://www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/people/warham/John-Warham-Autobiography.pdf](http://www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/people/warham/John-Warham-Autobiography.pdf)).   John received many deserved honours in his long life, including being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (a national honour), receiving the Australian CSIRO Antarctic Research Expeditions Medal and the D.L. Serventy Medal of the Royal Australian Ornithologists Union (now Birds Australia), being awarded Fellowships of the Royal Photographic Society, the Ornithological Society of New Zealand ([click here](http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_46-1999/Notornis_46_3_414.pdf)) and of the RAOU, election to honorary membership of the British Ornithologists' Union, being made a Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Seabird Group ([click here](http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_26_1.PDF)).   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/john_warham2.jpg "John Warham with one of his many awards") I was privileged to have met John and his wife Pat in 1994 when they invited me to an evening meal at their house in a garden suburb of Christchurch and we discussed our mutual interests in seabirds and in collecting books about them and their habitats, especially islands. I remember him as a small, sprightly man, still full of enthusiasm, although then already well into his 70s. A second meeting occurred at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group, in Washington, USA in February 1999, where he presented the opening plenary paper entitled "Petrel puzzles and problems" covering such issues as olfaction, DNA studies and the petrel-attracting abilities of "war-whoops" ([click here](http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_26_1.PDF)). At this meeting he received the PSG's Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing dinner. A regret was that the holding of the Second Session of the Meeting of Parties to the Agreement in Christchurch in November 2006 did not lead to a third meeting in his home city. My, and ACAP's sympathies are extended to John's wife, Pat, who survives him. See also [http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/petrels/4/6](http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/petrels/4/6) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warham](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warham) **References:** Warham, J. 1990. *The petrels: their ecology and breeding systems*. London & San Diego: Academic Press. 440 pp. Warham, J. 1996. *The behaviour, population ecology and physiology of the petrels*. London & San Diego: Academic Press. 613 pp. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 May 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/dr-john-warham-pioneer-albatross-and-petrel-researcher-11-october-1919-12-may-2010.md) ## Southern Seabirds Solutions' "Mitigation Pathway" aims to support development of new mitigation techniques UPDATED The [Southern Seabird Solutions Trust](http://www.southernseabirds.org), with support from Sanford Ltd, Solander Seafoods and Te Ohu Kaimoana, has developed an online resource to assist fishers and other inventors in developing their seabird bycatch mitigation ideas.  "We want to encourage people everywhere to keep their thinking caps on and come up with new seabird mitigation ideas or work to adapt existing ones," says Janice Molloy, Trust Convenor. "We also want to help them through the process of developing their idea into something that is effective and used by fishing fleets around the world."  The Mitigation Development Pathway is easy to access, contains clear step by step guidance with resources and case studies that will be useful for those considering development of mitigation ideas.  The resource is available at [http://www.southernseabirds.org/ss-mitigation_pathway](http://www.southernseabirds.org/ss-mitigation_pathway).   The SSST is also calling for nominations for its "2010 Seabird Safe Award" to be made to an individual, land-based company or industry group that is making a real difference for seabirds at sea. Nominations close on 31 July 2010. Fishers, companies, vessels, fisheries, individuals and groups are all eligible for nomination. They must be actively involved in commercial fishing and the implementation of seabird bycatch mitigation in New Zealand waters ([click here](http://www.southernseabirds.org/n1696,182.html)).   The 2010 Seabird Safe Award winner will be announced in August 2010. Past winners of the Seabird Safe Award are Charles Hufflett of Solander Fisheries (2005) and Murray Williamson of South East Resources (2007). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black_Petrel_by_Dept_of_Conservation_New_Zealand.jpg "Black Petrel: endemic to New Zealand and at risk from fisheries. Photograph by New Zealand's Department of Conservation") The Southern Seabird Solutions Trust is an alliance that includes representatives from the fishing industry, government, Maori organizations and environmental groups to support and encourage fishers in the Southern Ocean to adopt responsible fishing practices. Its scope extends beyond New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone because seabirds that breed within New Zealand territory are global travellers, roaming the oceans as far afield as Australia, Japan, South Africa and North and South America. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 April 2010*     [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/southern-seabirds-solutions-qmitigation-pathwayq-aims-to-support-development-of-new-mitigation-techniques.md) ## Celebrate World Oceans Day today Today, 8 June is World Oceans Day. The concept was originally proposed by Canada on 8 June 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This year the theme is "Our oceans: opportunities and challenges".   On the first World Oceans Day, the Secretary General of the United Nations declared: "The first observance of World Oceans Day allows us to highlight the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an opportunity to recognize the considerable challenges we face in maintaining their capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation."   For more information, including on events in your neighbourhood and worldwide being held today and in past years, go to:   [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Oceans_Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Oceans_Day) [http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/2010events.php](http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/2010events.php) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_Rehab3.jpg "A rehabilitated Wandering Albatross is released off Australia") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer 8 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/celebrate-world-oceans-day-today.md) ## Tuna bycatch workshop to be held this month in Brisbane, Australia   The Kobe II Bycatch Workshop (K2B) will be held in Brisbane, Australia from 23-25 June 2010. The meeting is being co-hosted by the USA and the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency ([FFA](http://www.ffa.int/)). The aims of the workshop are to: •· provide advice to tuna RFMOS [Regional Fishery Management Organisations] on best practices, methods and techniques to assess and reduce the incidental mortality of non-target species, such as seabirds, turtles, sharks, marine mammals, and of juveniles of target species"; •· develop and coordinate relevant research programmes and observer programmes; and •· make recommendations on mechanisms to streamline the work of the tuna RFMO Working Groups in this field in order to avoid duplication. [Click here](http://www.tuna-org.org/Documents/731-10.pdf) for the workshop circular and draft agenda. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Fishing_Gear/safe_leads_acap_by_graham_robertson.jpg "Safe leads: one of a number of mitigation measures available for seabirds. Photograph by Graham Robertson")   ACAP will be represented at the workshop by its Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth and has submitted an invited discussion paper setting out its view of how tuna RFMOs can best assess and improve mitigation of bycatch by cooperation and coordination, including by the development and adoption of Memoranda of Understanding. In addition ACAP will present a joint paper with the Convention on Migratory Species ([CMS](http://www.cms.int/)) entitled "Methods to address bycatch within tuna fisheries. Examination of available tools and measures to reduce bycatch by the Tuna RFMOs". This paper is being produced and presented by Barry Baker, Coordinator of the ACAP Advisory Committee's Seabird Bycatch Working Group (SBWG) and CMS Appointed Councillor (Bycatch).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 9 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/tuna-bycatch-workshop-to-be-held-this-month-in-brisbane-australia.md) ## World Oceans Day petition to save the Balearic Shearwater (and other European seabirds) On World Oceans Day (8 June) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ([RSPB](http://www.rspb.org.uk), BirdLife partner in the UK)  presented a 23 000-strong petition to the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in Brussels, Belgium ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/seabird-petition.html) and [here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-253987)).   The petition urges the European Commission to produce the long-awaited European Plan of Action ([click here](http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/x3170e/x3170e02.htm)for the FAO guidelines) to save threatened seabirds from the effects of fishing via bycatch on longlines and in nets in European waters.   One of the European seabird species seriously threatened by fisheries bycatch is the World Conservation Union-[Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30026&m=0) Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, which breeds only on Spanish territory within the Mediterranean Sea.   The Balearic Shearwater is a "species of interest" to the Albatross and Petrel Agreement, having been identified as a suitable candidate for listing ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf) and [here](https://www.acap.aq/meeting-documents/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers/view-category)). At the last (5th) Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee, held in Argentina in April 2010, France (a range state for the species) advised that it would, in consultation with Spain, give consideration jointly to proposing that the Balearic Shearwater be added to Annex 1 of the Agreement ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-draft-report/view-category)).   The ACAP Secretariat prepared a draft Species Assessment for the Balearic Shearwater in 2008 to inform it of the bird's current conservation status in the event of the species being nominated for ACAP-listing.   Two further shearwater species that have been identified as potential ACAP candidates, Yelkouan *P. yelkouan*and Cory's *Calonectris diomedea*, are also at risk from fisheries in European (and especially Mediterranean) waters. Their conservation status would also be improved by the speedy adoption of a European Plan of Action -Seabirds.   For earlier ACAP news items reporting efforts directed at the European Commission to adopt a seabird plan of action follow the thread backwards from [http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/renewed-concern-expressed-about-the-mortality-of-european-seabirds-from-fishing-activities](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/renewed-concern-expressed-about-the-mortality-of-european-seabirds-from-fishing-activities).   Meanwhile in the southern hemisphere, news of the presence and likely effects of rats on a huge breeding population of Sooty Shearwaters *P. griseus* on a Chilean island may be read at [http://www.issg.org/pdf/aliens_newsletters/A29.pdf](http://www.issg.org/pdf/aliens_newsletters/A29.pdf).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 June 2009* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/world-oceans-day-petition-to-save-the-balearic-shearwater-and-other-european-seabirds.md) ## CMS Scientific Council to Discuss Bycatch in fisheries The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals ([CMS](http://www.cms.int) or Bonn Convention ) will hold the 16th Meeting of its Scientific Council in Bonn, Germany from 28 to 30 June 2010 ([click here](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/16th_ScC_documents.htm) for the agenda and to access other meeting documents).   [This CMS meeting paper](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Doc_09_ByCatch_&_related_issues_E.pdf) considers progress with CMS Resolution 9.18 on By-catch and related issues and includes a useful list of recent publications and reports dealing with bycatch of marine vertebrates, including seabirds.   This meeting document also draws attention to the "bycatch and mitigation bibliography" of Project GLoBAL of Duke University and the Blue Ocean Institute, containing more than 1500 relevant articles, accessible at [http://bycatch.env.duke.edu/Collaborators/bycatch-bibliography.](http://bycatch.env.duke.edu/Collaborators/bycatch-bibliography) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_dead_by_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Victim of fisheries bycatch: a hooked and drowned Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Graham Robertson") [A Threat Abatement Plan](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Inf_9_Abatement_Plan_marine_debris_threat_Eonly.pdf) for the Impacts of Marine Debris on Vertebrate Marine Life, submitted by Australia, will also be considered at the meeting. This document identifies a number of ACAP-listed species negatively impacted by marine debris and proposes that monitoring of regurgitated marine debris at albatross and giant petrel breeding colonies takes place. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/cms-scientific-council-to-discuss-bycatch-in-fisheries.md) ## Rodent eradication programmes get underway at sub-Antarctic islands UPDATED The Macca bait drop has commenced.  Go to [http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288)   The long-in-the-making plans to eradicate the alien terrestrial mammals of Australia's Macquarie Island have reached fruition and the actual eradication programme has now commenced.   On 21 May the *Aurora Australis* departed from Hobart, Tasmania for sub-Antarctic Macquarie with a team of 20 staff, along with four helicopters and 305 tonnes of poison bait, in an effort to remove the rats, mice and rabbits from the island - according to a [media release](http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2010/pubs/mr20100521.pdf) from the Australian Minister for Environment Protection and the Tasmanian Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage.   More information on the start of the eradication exercise may be found at [http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/05/14/2900097.htm](http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/05/14/2900097.htm). To find the background documents and project newsletters (five have been issued to date) go to [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013).   The Project Leader, Keith Springer, has reported to ACAP that in the first eight days ashore this month on Macquarie breaks in the weather have allowed the establishment of three bait and fuel depots across the island, with the actual aerial baiting scheduled to have started soon thereafter.   In August specially trained dogs and their handlers will arrive at the island, to hunt the (hopefully) few rabbits that are expected to survive the aerial bait drop. If the operation succeeds in eradicating House Mice, "Macca" will be the largest island by far world-wide where which this has been achieved.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/G/Grey-headed_Albatross_pair_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Grey-headed Albatrosses on Macquarie Island. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")   Meanwhile, half way round the world in the Atlantic Ocean efforts are well underway to commence the removal of rodents from another sub-Antarctic island: one even bigger than Macquarie. South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)* is threatened by shrinking glaciers allowing the spread of Norway Rats. [Click here](http://www.sgisland.gs/index.php/(e)Eradication_Of_Rodents?useskin=env) to access the Environmental Impact Assessment and Operational Plan documents for the planned eradication.   Further information on the Habitat Restoration Project for this island may be found at [http://www.sght.org/projects.htm](http://www.sght.org/projects.htm). The first (trial) phase of aerial baiting is currently scheduled to take place in February-March 2011. It is intended to clear a total of 18 discrete baiting zones of rats during the 2011 trial phase and subsequent phase II operations during 2012 to 2014. In addition to monitoring at the end of each baiting season, further monitoring will be carried out throughout the island in 2015 and 2016 in order to ensure that no rats have survived.   The second newsletter (July 2010) for this South Atlantic restoration project may be found at [http://www.sght.org/documents/HRnewsletterJul10.pdf](http://www.sght.org/documents/HRnewsletterJul10.pdf).   Successes at Macquarie and South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur) should give a significant boost to United Kingdom plans (being led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) to remove the predatory mice from Gough Island in the South Atlantic ([click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-205319)).   The eradication projects underway or planned for islands in the Southern Ocean will, if they succeed, lead to a marked improvement in the conservation status of a number of ACAP-listed species, ranging in size from the Grey Petrel *Procellaria cinerea* up to the great albatrosses of the genus *Diomedea*.   Click here [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News Article&intID=1895](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News Article&intID=1895) for news of yet another eradication exercise on an important seabird breeding island: this time to remove feral cats.   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 June 2010, updated 4 July 2010* *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. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/rodent-eradication-programmes-get-underway-at-sub-antarctic-islands.md) ## The European Union launches a public consultation towards a seabird bycatch plan of action The European Commission has announced its intention to develop an EU Action Plan to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in longlines and gillnets, following the now well-known [FAO guidelines](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en). The Commission is inviting stakeholders and the general public to express their views on the questions identified in a [consultation paper](http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/partners/consultations/seabirds/consultation_document_en.pdf), as well as to present their opinions regarding further actions that could be introduced into a future Commission proposal for an EU-Plan of Action on Seabirds. [Click here](http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/partners/consultations/seabirds/index_en.htm) to find out how to submit your views to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The deadline for submissions is 9 August 2010. Received contributions will be published on the Internet. The consultation paper gives information on European fishing areas where seabirds are most at risk from longlines and gill nets and lists mitigation measures available, modelled on those already adopted by [CCAMLR](http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/sc/imaf/docs/CCAMLR_elimination%20of%20IMAF.pdf) (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources). The paper concludes that, unlike in the southern hemisphere, seabirds in European waters are not at risk from trawls. The consultation paper builds upon the data and information ([click here](http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/partners/consultations/seabirds/ices_advice_en.pdf)) obtained through the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea ([ICES](http://www.ices.dk/indexnofla.asp)) on the subject as well as from scientific publications. The outcome of the consultation will form part of an Impact Assessment that will be conducted before the Commission drafts a proposal for a new European Plan of Action for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in fisheries (EU-PoA Seabirds). An EU-wide plan of action that requires the adoption of proven mitigation measures will materially help conserve those European seabirds most at risk, such as the shearwaters that breed within the Mediterranean, especially the Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, which has a [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30026&m=0) status and may be proposed by France and Spain for ACAP listing ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/world-oceans-day-petition-to-save-the-balearic-shearwater-and-other-european-seabirds)).   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 June 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-european-union-launches-a-public-consultation-towards-a-seabird-bycatch-plan-of-action.md) ## Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Fact-sheets for longline and trawl fisheries now available A series of 14 Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Fact-sheets which describes the range of potential mitigation measures available to reduce seabird bycatch in both pelagic and demersal longline and trawl fisheries has been added to this web site ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets)). The fact-sheets assess the effectiveness of each measure, highlight their limitations and strengths, and make best-practice recommendations for their effective adoption.  They are designed to help decision-makers choose the most appropriate measures for their demersal and pelagic longline and trawl fisheries.  An introductory sheet describes the problem and lists the 14 individual fact-sheets. The fact-sheets have been produced as a joint effort between ACAP and BirdLife International with input from Sea Grant Washington. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/black-browed_albatross_attacks_longline_bait_by_martin_abreu.jpg "A Black-browed Albatross attacks a longline bait. Photograph by Martin Abreu") The following mitigation measures are covered in detail by the individual fact-sheets: 1. [Streamer lines (demersal longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1507-fact-sheet-01-demersal-longline-streamer-lines) 2. [Line weighting - external weights (demersal longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1508-fact-sheet-02-demersal-longline-line-weighting-%E2%80%93-external-weights) 3. [Integrated weight longlines (demersal longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1509-fact-sheet-03-demersal-longline-integrated-weight-longlines) 4. [Line weighting - Chilean system (demersal longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1510-fact-sheet-04-demersal-longline-line-weighting-%E2%80%93-chilean-system) 5. [Night-setting (demersal and pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1511-fact-sheet-05-demersal-and-pelagic-longline-night-setting) 6. [Underwater setting chute (demersal longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1519-fact-sheet-06-demersal-longline-underwater-setting-chute) 7. [Streamer lines (pelagic longlining](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1518-fact-sheet-07-pelagic-longline-streamer-lines-vessels-24-m) 8. [Line-weighting (pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1517-fact-sheet-08-pelagic-longline-line-weighting) 9. [Side-setting (pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1516-fact-sheet-09-pelagic-longline-side-setting) 10. [Blue-dyed bait (pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1515-fact-sheet-10-pelagic-longline-blue-dyed-bait-squid) 11. [Bait-caster and line shooter (pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1514-fact-sheet-11-pelagic-longline-bait-caster-and-line-shooter) 12. [Haul mitigation (demersal and pelagic longlining)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1513-fact-sheet-12-demersal-and-pelagic-longline-haul-mitigation) 13. [Warp strikes (trawling)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1512-fact-sheet-13-trawl-fisheries-warp-strike) 14. [Net entanglements (trawling)](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets/download-document/1520-fact-sheet-14-trawl-fisheries-net-entanglement) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/seabird-bycatch-mitigation-fact-sheets-for-longline-and-trawl-fisheries-now-available.md) ## Translocated Short-tailed and Black-footed Albatrosses continue to do well on Japan's Mukojima Island The numbers of Vulnerable Short-tailed Albatrosses *Phoebastria albatrus* have increased to more than 2500 through the past 50 years of conservation efforts, but their only two remaining breeding sites, Torishima Island and the Senkaku Islands, have a high risk of volcanic eruption or are faced by political problems, respectively.  To help the species survive a future eruption on Torishima, hand-rearing of young chicks translocated from this island to a safe and historical breeding site, Mukojima Island in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, begun in 2008, as a cooperative project involving the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology in Japan, the Japanese Ministry of Environment and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/short_tailed_albatross_hand_reared_chick_on_nest_by_tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "A Short-Tailed Albatross chick is settled onto its artificial nest. Photograph by Tomohiro Deguchi")  The goal of the project is that the hand-reared birds will return to Mukojima after fledging and establish a third (and safer) breeding site for the Short-tailed Albatross.  To date, 10, 15 and 15 chicks, of 30-40 days of age, have been transported from Torishima to Mukojima, 350 km to the south, by helicopter in February 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/short_tailed_abatross_feeding_squid_by_tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "A translocated Short-tailed Albatross chick is hand-fed squid. Photograph by Tomohiro Deguchi") All of the 40 hand-reared Short-tailed Albatross chicks have grown well on their hand-fed diet of flying fish, sardine, squid, krill, water and vitamins without health problems and all voluntarily fledged in late May - when parent-reared chicks fledge from Torishima.  Solar-powered satellite transmitters (PTTs) attached to some of the hand-reared chicks indicate that they travel to the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea regions one to two months after fledging, regions used heavily by adult and parent-reared fledglings from Torishima. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/short_tailed_albatross_hand_reared_chick_fledges_by tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "A hand-reared Short-tailed Albatross fledges from Mukojima Island. Photograph by Tomohiro Deguchi ")  Thirty Short-tailed Albatross decoys and a solar-powered sound system making colony sounds and courtship calls have been established at the hand-rearing site on Mukojima to increase the probability of imprinting by the chicks and thus the returning juvenile birds after fledging.  Some subadult birds have already been attracted to the site.  In 2007, 10 Endangered Black-footed Albatross *P. nigripes* chicks, aged 50 days, were translocated from Nakodojima Island to the hand-rearing site on Mukojima 5 km to north and hand-reared as a preliminary experiment for the Short-tailed Albatross project.  In 2010, three out of the nine chicks that successfully fledged were observed back on Mukojima for the first time, with two being observed engaged in courtship behaviour.  Their return gives hope for a similar achievement with the translocated Short-tailed Albatrosses.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/black_footed_albatross_returned_hand_reared_birds_by_tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "Hand-reared Black-footed Albatrosses return to Mukojima Island. Photograph by Tomhiro Deguchi")  For an earlier ACAP news story on the Mukojima translocation programme [click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/translocated-short-tailed-albatross-chick-from-japan-photographed-off-california-five-months-later).  *News from Tomohiro Deguchi, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 23 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/translocated-short-tailed-and-black-footed-albatrosses-continue-to-do-well-on-japans-mukojima-island.md) ## Conservation status of Chatham and Laysan Albatrosses improves Following a re-assessment process now completed ([click here](http://www.birdlifeforums.org/WebX/Globally%20Threatened%20Bird%20Forums/Threatened%20Seabirds/)) the World Conservation Union, acting on the advice of BirdLife International, will in September this year reclassify ("downlist") the Chatham Albatross *Thalassarche eremita*, a New Zealand breeding endemic, from **Critically Endangered** to **Vulnerable** in its [Red List](http://www.iucnredlist.org/) of Threatened SpeciesTM. According to BirdLife this decision is based on the lack of evidence of ongoing habitat degradation at its only breeding site (The Pyramid, Chatham Islands) and that the global population is either stable or increasing.  It remains Vulnerable as it has a very small breeding range rendering it susceptible to stochastic events and human impacts ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3963&m=0)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/pyramid_chathams_by_david_thompson.jpg "The Pyramid: home of the Chatham Albatross. Photograph by Paul Scofield") In the same round of assessments, the Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis* of the North Pacific will be downlisted by IUCN from **Vulnerable** to **Near Threatened** because recent population censuses suggest the species' breeding population has recovered from decreases in the late 1990s and early 2000s ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3958&m=0)).   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan Albatross by James Lloyd.jpg "Laysan Albatross. Photograph by James Lloyd") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/chatham-and-laysan-albatrosses-to-have-their-formal-conservation-status-improved) for an earlier news story on the conservation status of these two species. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/conservation-status-of-chatham-and-laysan-albatrosses-improves.md) ## BBC Wildlife Fund supports albatross conservation The core purpose of the [BBC Wildlife Fund](http://www.bbc.co.uk/wild/) is to raise awareness and funds to save threatened wildlife and places.  In 2010 the fund has been supporting the work of the [Albatross Task Force](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/problem/atf.asp) in Brazil through [Projeto Abatroz](http://www.projetoalbatroz.org.br/) to reduce seabird bycatch in South Atlantic fisheries, such as by encouraging the use of streamer or bird-scaring lines in longline fisheries. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_00_Fig1.jpg "Using streamer lines to deter birds from longlines") Read more on the ATF's conservation efforts in Brazil at:  [http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/BBC-fund-helps-to-keep-albatrosses-off-the-hook.html](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/BBC-fund-helps-to-keep-albatrosses-off-the-hook.html)  and  [http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-254624](http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-254624) Information on the at-sea movements of a pair of satellite-tracked Wandering Albatrosses in the South Atlantic may be found at the [BBC Earth Explorers](http://www.bbc.co.uk/expeditions/albatrossadventure) web site. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 June 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/bbc-wildlife-fund-supports-albatross-conservation.md) ## Important Bird Areas in the Americas support ACAP-listed albatrosses and giant petrels A directory of Important Bird Areas in the Americas has been published by BirdLife International.  A total of  2450 IBAs has been identified in 57 countries or territories within the region.  Six of the countries/territories covered in the publication (Chile, Ecuador, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)*, Mexico and the USA) have IBAs which support breeding populations of ACAP-listed species.  Some of these "ACAP IBAs" and the breeding ACAP species they support are listed below.  Click on the country/territory to access its individual account with a list of its IBAs and a map of their distribution.  **[Argentina](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/Argentina.pdf)**  Isla de los Estados, Islas de Año Nuevo:  Southern Giant Petrel.  **[Chile](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/Chile.pdf)**  Islas Ildefonso, Isla Diego de Almagro, Islas Diego Ramírez:  Black-browed and Grey-headed Albatrosses and Southern Giant Petrel.  **[Ecuador](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/Ecuador.pdf)**  Isla Española, Galapagos:  Waved Albatross.  **[Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)*](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/Falkland_Islands_(Malvinas).pdf)**  Bleaker Island group, Jason Islands group, Beauchêne, Saunders Island:  Black-browed Albatross and Southern Giant Petrel.  **[Mexico](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/Mexico.pdf)**  Isla Guadalupe, Islas Revillagigedo:  Laysan Albatross.  **[USA](http://www.birdlife.info/docs/AmCntryPDFs/USA.pdf)** ** **Hawaiian Islands:  Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses (17 IBAs identified but not individually listed).  [Click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites/index.html?action=SitHTMFind.asp&INam=&Reg=11) to search for more details for the individual IBAs listed above. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_hatchling_Clarion_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "Laysan Albatross brooding its small chick. Photograph by Ross Wanless ")  **Reference:**  Devenish, C., Díaz Fernández, D. F., Clay, R. P., Davidson, I. & Yépez Zabala, I. (Eds.)  2009.  *Important Bird Areas Americas - Priority Sites for Biodiversity Conservation.  *Quito: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 16). [http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/american_ibas/americas-ibas-downloads.html](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/american_ibas/americas-ibas-downloads.html).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 June 2010*  *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. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/important-bird-areas-in-the-americas-support-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-giant-petrels.md) ## CMS Scientific Council to review albatross and petrel taxonomy and discuss seabird bycatch this week At the 16th Meeting of the Scientific Council (SC16) of the Convention on Migratory Species ([CMS](http://www.cms.int/)) to be held from 28-30 June 2010 in Bonn, Germany, consideration will be given to the taxonomic status of albatrosses and petrels listed on the convention appendices under Item 15.4 of the [meeting agenda](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Doc_01_Rev2_Prov_Agenda_En.pdf).  All ACAP-listed species are included on either or both Appendices I and II of the CMS. To aid in its consideration, the Scientific Council will take note of a paper ([Doc. 17](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Doc_17_Taxonomy_of_Albatrosses_&_Petrels_ACAP_E.pdf)) prepared and submitted by the Taxonomic Working Group of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  The paper sets out in detail the procedure followed by ACAP to come to taxonomic decisions.  It recommends that the Scientific Council of the CMS: - recognises that ACAP has established a thorough, robust, transparent and defensible taxonomic process for addressing the complex and sometimes controversial issues associated with the taxonomy of albatrosses and some petrels; - recognises ACAP as the appropriate taxonomic authority for albatrosses and petrels; - and adopts the taxonomy used by ACAP. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White-capped Albatross nest byDavid Thompson.jpg "White-capped Albatross: considered a full species by ACAP. Photograph by David Thompson ") SC16 will also discuss impacts of bycatch on migratory species and best-practice mitigation measures.  In an Information Paper ([Inf. 11.4](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Inf_11_4_Response_from_ACAP_Eonly.pdf)) ACAP through the Convenor of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Barry Baker (who is also the CMS Scientific Counsellor on Bycatch) provides requested information on the identification of emerging and best-practice bycatch mitigation techniques, as they relate to species listed under the ACAP Agreement. Information on mitigation measures relevant to seabirds has also been submitted to SC16 by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna ([CCSBT](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Inf_11_1_Response_from_CCSBT_Eonly.pdf)) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission ([IOTC](http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/Eng/ScC16_Inf_11_7_Response_from_IOTC_Eonly.pdf)). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/cms-scientific-council-to-discuss-bycatch-in-fisheries) for an earlier ACAP news item on the CMS meeting. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/convention-on-migratory-species-scientific-council-to-review-albatross-and-petrel-taxonomy-and-discuss-seabird-bycatch-this-week.md) ## "Smart Hooks" designed to protect albatrosses from being caught on longlines An article written by the [Southern Seabirds Solutions Trust ](http://www.southernseabirds.org/)and published in the industry magazine *[Seafood New Zealand](http://www.seafoodnewzealand.co.nz/)*  describes how a "fisherman-turned-inventor" has been developing a temporary metal shield to be placed over a longline hook ([click here](http://www.southernseabirds.org/f1027,75417/75417_SNZ_August_2009_p20_21.pdf)).  The metal shield is designed to fall away after the hook has reached a depth of 50 m, considered deep enough to protect seabirds.  As well as deterring birds from seizing the bait, it also makes the baited hook sink faster, so that it is within the reach of albatrosses and petrels for a shorter time period.   ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_01_Fig1.jpg)  More information on mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch in both longline and trawl fisheries, such as the streamer lines illustrated above, may be found on this web site.  [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets) to access a set of 14 mitigation facts sheets produced jointly by ACAP and BirdLife International.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/qsmart-hooksq-designed-to-protect-albatrosses-from-being-caught-on-longlines.md) ## Poison-bait drop on Australia's Macquarie Island has commenced: an end to the rats, mice and rabbits? Despite poor weather hampering operations the poison-bait drop has commenced on Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island in an endeavour to rid it of Black Rats, House Mice and European Rabbits ([click here](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288) for the latest news).  Aerial baiting has started at Hurd Point, at the southern end of the island.  Earlier, the extreme northern end of the island around the station and on North Head was baited as a trial operation, using all four helicopters, with autopsies of animals subsequently found dead showing signs of poisoning.  It is now thought that the station area is completely free of rats and substantially free of mice, while rabbit numbers are also plummeting, auguring success once bait is dropped over the whole island.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_Aleks Terauds.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") [Click here](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=37968) to access all the recent "This Week at Macquarie" newsletters on the Australian Antarctic Division's web site and follow the fortunes of this eradication exercise. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/rodent-eradication-programmes-get-underway-at-sub-antarctic-islands) for an earlier ACAP news story on the eradication efforts and to access the project's newsletters and background documents.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 June 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/poison-bait-drop-on-australias-macquarie-island-has-commenced-an-end-to-the-rats-mice-and-rabbits.md) ## The ACAP Secretariat Family expands! The ACAP Secretariat is pleased to announce the safe arrival of its very first ACAP baby.  Robin Lehua VanderWerf was born to Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent and Eric VanderWerf on 24 June 2010 at 19h39 Hawaii-time.  Robin came in at an Imperial 7 lbs. We all join in wishing the proud parents all the best as they enter this new exciting stage in their lives: bringing up their own chick!  *John Cooper, Barry Baker, Luke Finley, JC Lloyd-Southwell, Wies**ława Misiak, Warren Papworth and Juan Pablo Seco Pon, 30 June 2010*. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-acap-secretariat-family-expands.md) ## Saving the Tristan Albatross: a new study identifies United Kingdom's Gough as the highest-priority island for the removal of an introduced mammal UPDATED UPDATE: [click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-255936)  for more news on this story In a paper published in the July issue of *[Ibis](http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0019-1019)*, the International Journal of Avian Science, Geoff Hilton and Richard Cuthbert review the impacts of introduced mammalian predators on UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs), most of which are oceanic islands. They conclude that the highest priority for action is Gough Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha Group in the South Atlantic, where introduced House Mice *Mus musculus* continue to threaten the Critically Endangered and ACAP-listed Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena*. The paper concludes that "technical, financial and political will is required to push forward and fund the eradication of invasive mammalian predators" on selected islands in UKOTs, including from Gough. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_wounded_Rob_Ronconi_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "A Tristan Albatross chick attacked by mice on Gough Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan") Search on "Tristan Albatross" on this web site to read a number of earlier stories addressing the plight of the Tristan Albatross.  [Click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp) to find the review of impacts study (Angel & Cooper 2006) and the eradication feasibility study (Parkes 2008) for Gough's mice. **Reference:** HILTON, G.M. & CUTHBERT, R.J. 2010.The catastrophic impact of invasive mammalian predators on birds of the UK Overseas Territories: a review and synthesis.  *Ibis*152: 443-458. [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/123526845/PDFSTART](http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/123526845/PDFSTART). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 July 2010, updated 14 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/saving-the-tristan-albatross-a-new-study-identifies-united-kingdoms-gough-as-the-highest-priority-island-for-the-removal-of-an-introduced-mammal.md) ## Decision released on correct spelling of the scientific name of the Black-browed Albatross The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has now released its decision on the correct spelling of the scientific name of the Black-browed Albatross in the June 2010 issue (Volume 67, Part 2, pp. 194-196) of its *[Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature](http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/iczn/ICZNhomepage.htm).*  Opinion 2252 (Case 3449) " rules to confirm that that *melanophris* Temminck, 1828, as published as the binomen *Diomedea melanophris*, is the correct original spelling."  As a consequence of this ruling, the Commission has placed *melanophris* on the **Official List of Specific Names in Zoology** and placed *melanophrys* Temminck, 1839 on the **Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Names in Zoology**.  The abstract of the original submission of Case 3449 may be found at *BZN*Volume 65, Part 2, 30 June 2008 ([click here](http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/iczn/BZNJune2008cases.html)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") ACAP adopted the now-official spelling (in the form *Thalassarche melanophris*) at its Third Session of its Meeting of Parties in 2009  ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/meeting-documents/english/meeting-of-the-parties/mop3/mop3-final-report) for the report), based on the detailed submission made to the Commission, and without waiting for its ruling that has taken two years to make.  However, "all's well that ends well" and ACAP's usage over the last year of *melanophris* has now shown to be correct.  With thanks to Caio J. Carlos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Brazil for supplying the Commission's ruling.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/decision-released-on-correct-spelling-of-the-scientific-name-of-the-black-browed-albatross.md) ## Innovative proposal to rid oceanic islands of introduced mammals Writing in the [second number](http://www.isinz.com/newsletter/issue2.asp#better)  of *ISI News* [Allan Saunders](http://www.isinz.com/staff_page.asp?staff_num=1957 ) and colleagues of New Zealand's [Invasive Species International](http://www.isinz.com/) consider how best to forward the removal of alien mammals from oceanic islands.  They conclude that the use of a dedicated "mother ship" working within archipelagos or regional groups of islands, coupled with a system to keep trained eradication teams involved from project to project, would lead both to significant economies in scale and improved support for countries and regions with low capacities to fund, plan and carry out their own island eradication programmes.  Earlier this year I showed Allan South Africa's Antarctic supply ship, the M.V.  *[S.A. Agulhas](http://www.sanap.org.za/sanap_agulhas.html)*, docked in Cape Town harbour.  This ship is to be replaced in 2012.  Its ability to carry two large helicopters, ample on-board accommodation, 90-day and 12 000-nautical mile at-sea capacity, small boats and large holds suggest it could be the type of vessel to fit the ISI vision.  For example, eradication of introduced House Mice *Mus musculus* from Gough Island in the South Atlantic ([click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/goughisland_tcm9-220539.pdf)) is going to require a vessel of this type (which visits Gough annually to relieve the South African weather station). Click here  to read the gough mice feasibility study, produced by another ISI New Zealander, [John Parkes](http://www.isinz.com/staff_page.asp?staff_num=245). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_chick_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "Mice attacking a Tristan Albatross chick on Gough Island. Photography by Ross Wanless") To read of current activities to eradicate invasive mammals from two other islands supporting ACAP-breeding species in the Southern Ocean [click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/rodent-eradication-programmes-get-underway-at-sub-antarctic-islands). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/PDF_Docs/En/acap_eradication_guidelines_en1.1.pdf ) to access ACAP's Guidelines for eradication of introduced mammals from breeding sites of ACAP-listed seabirds. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/innovative-proposal-to-rid-oceanic-islands-of-introduced-mammals.md) ## Tuna Commissions' Kobe II Workshop and CMS Scientific Council: feedback on recent discussions on seabird bycatch Two international meetings held last month have held productive discussions on seabird bycatch.  ACAP was in attendance at both meetings.  The joint Tuna Commissions' (tRFMOs) [‘Kobe II' Bycatch Workshop](http://www.tuna-org.org/Documents/731-10.pdf) held over 23-25 June in Brisbane, Australia agreed to establish a Joint technical Working Group, consisting of two to three participants from each tRFMO.  The working group would aim to seek the assistance of expert advice from both IGOs and NGOs to facilitate cooperation and coordination on bycatch issues so as to provide best-practice advice that is consistent across all high-seas tuna fisheries.  Agreement was also reached on the tRFMOs establishing a centralised source of information on bycatch mitigation measures.  A range of other recommendations was made, encouraging tRFMOs to implement their responsibilities under relevant international instruments.  See also [http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/Its-time-for-a-turn-on-tuna.html](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/Its-time-for-a-turn-on-tuna.html).  At the 16th Meeting of the Scientific Council of the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species ([CMS](http://www.cms.int/)) during 28-30 June in Bonn, Germany a Bycatch Working Group discussed the report of the CMS Scientific Councillor for Bycatch, Barry Baker.  Noting the progress that had already been achieved with undertaking global reviews of both bycatch and mitigation measures in longline and trawl fisheries, it was agreed that the CMS should sponsor similar reviews for gillnet fisheries.  [Click here](http://www.cms.int/news/PRESS/nwPR2010/06_jun/nw_300610_CMS_Scientific_Council.htm) for a summary of the meeting's deliberations.  Unlike longline and some trawl fisheries, and as far as it is currently known, gill (and drift) net fisheries do not impact seriously on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels.  However, this would be likely to change if deep-diving petrels, such as the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, were listed on the Agreement ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/world-oceans-day-petition-to-save-the-balearic-shearwater-and-other-european-seabirds) to access ACAP news stories on this bird).  The CMS Bycatch Working Group also encouraged closer links between ACAP and the CMS, including by facilitating attendance of their representatives at meetings of selected tuna RFMOs.  The CMS Working Group also noted the difficulty of getting the Commissions of RFMOs to adopt and implement advice provided by their own Scientific Committees and other technical working groups. In many cases, it was clear that there is poor coordination between fisheries and conservation agencies within governments, leading to conflicting positions being expressed by a State at inter-governmental fishery and conservation fora.  The Working Group encouraged CMS Parties to address this problem by ensuring their delegations are fully briefed on bycatch issues and on the need for urgent action to implement necessary changes to fishing practices. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_05_Fig1.jpg "Streamer lines can protect seabirds from longlines")  See earlier ACAP news stories on these two meetings at:  [http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/convention-on-migratory-species-scientific-council-to-review-albatross-and-petrel-taxonomy-and-discuss-seabird-bycatch-this-week](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/convention-on-migratory-species-scientific-council-to-review-albatross-and-petrel-taxonomy-and-discuss-seabird-bycatch-this-week)  and  [http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tuna-bycatch-workshop-to-be-held-this-month-in-brisbane-australia](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tuna-bycatch-workshop-to-be-held-this-month-in-brisbane-australia)  *John Cooper ACAP Information Officer 7 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/tuna-commissions-kobe-ii-workshop-and-cms-scientific-council-feedback-on-recent-discussions-on-seabird-bycatch.md) ## At-sea behaviour of Southern Hemisphere albatrosses revealed in new studies Two recent publications appearing in the journal *[Marine Ecology Progress Series](http://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/meps-home/)* give new information on the at-sea behaviour and distribution of five species of albatrosses in the southern hemisphere.  Rachael Alderman and colleagues, based in Tasmania, Australia, studied the post-fledging survival and dispersal of Shy Albatrosses *Thalassarche cauta* by deploying 48 satellite transmitters on fledglings from each of the three Tasmanian populations over four separate seasons.  Population differences in the at-sea distribution were observed with the northern Albatross Island population foraging exclusively in southern Australian shelf waters to the west of the breeding colony.  In contrast, birds from the other two more southerly colonies showed a greater tendency to traverse the high seas and to forage farther to the west.  These differences in spatial distribution mean populations have different exposures to fisheries and consequent risks of bycatch. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/ALBATROSS ISLAND AND RAINBOW R Alderman_web.jpg "Albatross Island: home of the Shy Albatross. Photograph by Rachel Alderman") Elizabeth K. Mackley and colleagues at the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Glasgow in the UK also deployed devices on albatrosses, this time combination geolocator-immersion loggers on Wandering *Diomedea exulans*, Black-browed *Thalassarche melanophris*, Grey-headed *T. chrysostoma* and Light-mantled Sooty *Phoebetria palpebrata*Albatrossesat a South Atlantic colony.  Differences in behaviour among the four species during the breeding season were maintained during the non-breeding period, suggesting a high degree of foraging niche specialisation.  Wandering Albatrosses exhibited longer flight bouts, and spent more time on the water during daylight than did any of the smaller species.  Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses were the most active nocturnally.  **References:**  R. Alderman, R. Gales, A.J. Hobday & S.G. Candy 2010. Post-fledging survival and dispersal of Shy Albatross from three breeding colonies in Tasmania.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 405: 271-285. [http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v405/p271-285/](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v405/p271-285/).  Elizabeth K. Mackley, Richard A. Phillips, Janet R. D. Silk, Ewan D. Wakefield, Vsevolod Afanasyev, James W. Fox & Robert W. Furness 2010.  Free as a bird?  Activity patterns of albatrosses during the non-breeding period.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 406: 291-303. [http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v406/p291-303/](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v406/p291-303/).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/at-sea-behaviour-of-southern-hemisphere-albatrosses-revealed-in-new-studies.md) ## International convention meets later this month to consider a new albatross World Heritage Site in the North Pacific The World Heritage Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List when it meets for its [34th Session](http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/34COM/) in Brasilia, Brazil from 25 July to 3 August.  During this year's session, to be chaired by João Luiz Ferreira, the Brazilian Minister of Culture, 35 States Parties to the [World Heritage Convention](http://whc.unesco.org/) will present 32 properties for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List ([click here](http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/627) for the WHC news release).  One of these properties, submitted for inscription in the mixed (i.e. both natural and cultural categories) is the [Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument](http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/welcome.html), Hawaii, submitted by the USA. This site contains a number of islands ((Midway, Laysan, etc.) that support large populations of Laysan *Phoebastria immutabilis* and Black-footed *P. nigripes* Albatrosses.  The full text of the USA's nomination document may be found at [http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/management/wh_docs/wh_full_app.pdf](http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/management/wh_docs/wh_full_app.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_black-footed_midway_by_eric_vanderwerf.jpg "Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses fly along Midway's sandy shore. Photograph by Eric VanderWerf") Japan's Ogasawara Islands and Mexico's Archipíelago de Revillagigedo, both home to breeding albatrosses, have as yet not been formally listed for nomination to the World Heritage Convention, although such plans have been announced previously ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/north-pacific-albatross-breeding-sites-head-for-world-heritage-status) for earlier ACAP news on potential World Heritage Sites for albatrosses in the Pacific Ocean).   Several albatross breeding sites in the southern hemisphere are World Heritage Sites but the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, if accepted by the WHC, will be the first in the northern hemisphere ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/management-plans/an-inventory-of-world-heritage-sites-supporting-acap-species) for a list of existing World Heritage Sites supporting breeding colonies of ACAP-listed species). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/international-convention-meets-later-this-month-to-consider-a-new-albatross-world-heritage-site.md) ## Second World Conference on Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning to be held in Argentina in November 2011 TheGrupo de Investigación y Educación en Temas Ambientales (GrIETA) has announced that the 2nd World Conference on Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning (BIOLIEF 2011) will take place over 21-24 November 2011 in Mar del Plata, Argentina ([click here](http://www.grieta.org.ar/biolief/)). The first [BIOLIEF meeting](http://www.ciimar.up.pt/biolief/), held at Porto, Portugal in October 2009, was attended by nearly 300 people from more than 20 countries.  BIOLIEF 2011 will continue thatimportant initial effort toward strengthening communication among the large international community of scientistsdevoted to the study of biological invasions. Instructions for registration and abstract submission will soon be provided on the conference  [web site](http://www.grieta.org.ar/biolief/). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_wounded_Rob_Ronconi_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "Tristan Albatross chick on Gough Island attacked by introduced House Mice. Photograph by Peter Ryan")   Addressing biological invasions on breeding islands of ACAP-listed species has been identified as an important activity by ACAP ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/PDF_Docs/En/acap_eradication_guidelines_en1.1.pdf) for the Guidelines for Eradication of Introduced Mammals from Breeding Sites of ACAP-listed seabirds). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/second-world-conference-on-biological-invasions-and-ecosystem-functioning-to-be-held-in-argentina-in-november-2011.md) ## Two international conferences in South America this August will hear about ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels The SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Open Science Conference will be held from 3-6 August 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina ([click here](http://www.dna.gov.ar/scar2010/) for the conference web site). The following presentations to be given as either orals or posters deal with ACAP-listed species.  See the full title list at [http://www.dna.gov.ar/scar2010/OSCAcceptedAbstractsInfo.pdf](http://www.dna.gov.ar/scar2010/OSCAcceptedAbstractsInfo.pdf).  Note only the presenting author is given here: Nestor Coria:  Geographical variation in the diet of the Southern Giant Petrel. Leigh Gurney:  An ecosystem model to explore population dynamics of top predators at the Prince Edward Islands. Mark Hindell:  Foraging habitats of top predators, and areas of ecological significance on the Kerguelen Plateau. José Orgeira:  Seabird censuses onboard ship as a monitoring ecosystem tool: the case of the pelagic seabird community at Scotia Sea, 1987-1996. María Petry:  A preliminary evaluation of temperature influences on decreases of Southern Giant Petrel from Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic. Mariette Wheeler:  The effect of pedestrian approaches on seabirds and seals at sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Later the same month the 25th Ornithological Congress will take place in Campos do Jordão, Brazil over 22-28 August.  A list of accepted posters on the 25IOC's [web site](http://www.acquaviva.com.br/ioc2010/) includes only one on an ACAP-listed species: Vincent Lecomte:  Links between stress sensitivity and ageing patterns in an extremely very long‐lived bird, the Wandering Albatross ([click here](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324184606.htm) to read about a related study by the same author).  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_with_chick_Gough_Island_by_John_Cooper.jpg "A Southern Giant Petrel broods its chick on Gough Island. Photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber") More presentations on ACAP-listed species are to be expected at the 1st World Seabird Conference, to be held in Victoria, Canada from 7-11 September 2010 ([click here](http://www.worldseabirdconference.com/main.cfm?cid=1813&nid=12669)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/two-international-conferences-in-south-america-this-august-will-hear-about-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels.md) ## Bonn Convention thesis award for conservation of migratory species open for applications The UNEP/CMS Thesis Award on Migratory Species Conservation, sponsored by Lufthansa, is now open for applications until April 2011 ([click here](http://www.cms.int/news/PRESS/nwPR2010/07_jul/nw_120710_CMS_Thesis_Award.htm) for more details and to access the application form). The award of €10 000 will be made at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (COP10) to be held in Norway in November 2011, in affiliation with the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig in Bonn, Germany.  The award is designed to promote scientific research and conservation of migratory species. The thesis should provide new data and insights into the biology and ecology of migratory species or external factors disrupting their migration patterns.  Research results must be applicable to conservation measures to the benefit of migratory species. Entries for the COP10 Awards are now invited with a closing date of 15 April 2011.  A licensed educational institution must have accepted the study as a Ph.D. or doctoral thesis. All theses accepted since the last COP9 (December 2008) may be submitted. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "The Tristan Albatross of Gough Island, a migratory and a Critically Endangered species. Photograph by John Cooper") Two of the three previous laureates, both based in Cape Town, South Africa, studied ACAP-listed species for their theses, including the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2008-news-archive/south-african-research-on-acap-species-wins-unep/cms-thesis-awards)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/bonn-convention-thesis-award-for-conservation-of-migratoryv-species-open-for-applications.md) ## Management Plan to be produced for Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha The United Kingdom's Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean is comprised of four main islands, three of which are not permanently inhabited.  Two of these "outer" islands, Gough and Inaccessible, are nature reserves, Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance and together from a single World Heritage natural site.  Each island has its own management plan, currently being combined and updated into a single World Heritage plan. In contrast, the third uninhabited island, Nightingale, which like the other Tristan islands and along with its outlying islets of Stoltenhoff and Middle ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/albatross-census-on-nightingales-islets-first-estimates-for-36-years)for a report of a recent visit to these two islets), supports important populations of ACAP-listed Atlantic Yellow-nosed *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* (a Tristan group endemic) and Dark-mantled Sooty *Phoebetria fusca* Albatrosses, does not as yet have a dedicated management plan.  Nightingale, unlike Gough and Inaccessible, is regularly visited by Tristan Islanders (although exploitation of ACAP-listed species is no longer permitted), and from time to time by tourists from cruise ships. The situation is now set to change as funding is reported in the June 2010 issue (No. 36) of the [UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum's](http://www.ukotcf.org/)newsletter, *Forum News* ([click here](http://www.ukotcf.org/pdf/fNews/36.pdf)) as being granted to the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ([RSPB](http://www.rspb.org.uk)) by the UK Overseas Territories Environment Programme ([OTEP](http://www.ukotcf.org/OTEP/index.htm)) to, *inter alia*, produce a manplan for Nightingale, as well as for specific areas on the inhabited main island of Tristan itself (where already all the penguin colonies are designated nature reserves). More detailed information on the new Tristan grant entitled "Integrated Biodiversity Management Planning on Tristan da Cunha (OTEP TDC 701)"may be found at [http://www.ukotcf.org/infoDB/infoSourcesDetail2.cfm?module=projects&refID=275](http://www.ukotcf.org/infoDB/infoSourcesDetail2.cfm?module=projects&refID=275). The newly funded project will also aim to continue capacity-building efforts within the Tristan da Cunha Conservation Department that was formed in 2009.  The Tristan Biodiversity Action Plan of 2006-2010 will be reviewed and updated, and training will be delivered to Conservation Department staff and its associates. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Atlantic_Yellow_nosed_Albatross1_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "Incubating Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Photograph by Peter Ryan")   With Nightingale set to receive its own management plan, there will be very few breeding localities for ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels in the Southern Ocean that do not already have such plans in place ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/management-plans/a-list-of-management-plans-for-breeding-sites-of-acap-species) for a listing of existing plans). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/management-plan-to-be-produced-for-nightingale-island-tristan-da-cunha.md) ## Albatrosses and arsenic Dr Orea Anderson of the School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University Belfast, UK and colleagues have investigated the concentrations of 22 essential and non-essential elements among a community of procellariiform seabirds (and their prey) in paper recently published in the journal *[Environmental Pollution](http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405856/description#description)*. The paper aims to identify the extent to which trophic position and foraging range govern element accumulation.  Stable isotope analysis was used to characterise trophic (*δ*15N) and spatial patterns (*δ*13C) among species.  Few consistent patterns were observed in element distributions among species and diet appeared to be highly influential in some instances.  Arsenic levels in seabird red blood cells correlated with *δ*15N and *δ*13C, demonstrating the importance of trophic position and foraging range for arsenic distribution.  Arsenic concentrations in prey varied significantly across taxa, and in the strength of association with *δ*15N values (trophic level).  In most instances, element patterns in Procellariiformes showed the clearest separation among species, indicating that a combination of prey selection and other complex species-specific characteristics (e.g. moult patterns) were generally more important determining factors than trophic level *per se*. [adapted from abstract]. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "An old male Wandering Albatross and chick, Marion Island. Photograph by John Cooper") **Reference:** O.R.J. Anderson, R.A. Phillips, R.F. Shore, R.A.R. McGill, R.A. McDonald & S. Bearhop 2010.  Element patterns in albatrosses and petrels: influence of trophic position, foraging range and prey type.  *Environmental Pollution* 158: 98-107. ([click here](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB5-4X36TX2-1&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=af6f3491f6d184a9e8ad950e82ee3f20)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/albatrosses-and-arsenic.md) ## Report of the KOBE II bycatch workshop now available The report of the International Workshop on Tuna RFMO Management of Issues Relating to Bycatch (Kobe II Bycatch Workshop)  held in Brisbane, Australia from 23-25 June 2010, is now available ([click here](http://www.tuna-org.org/Documents/Aus/TRFMO2_W3_5rev1_ENG_DRFT_MTG_REPORT.pdf)). The aims of the workshop were to: Review the available information on incidental catch of non-target species and juveniles of target species; Provide advice to tuna RFMOs on best practices, methods, and techniques to assess and reduce the incidental mortality of non-target species, such as seabirds, turtles, sharks, marine mammals, and juvenile target species; Develop and coordinate relevant research programmes and observer programmes; and Make recommendations on mechanisms to streamline the work of the T-RFMO Working Groups in this field in order to avoid duplication. Following a series of presentations and panel discussions, recommendations were adopted on the following themes (see Appendix 4 of the workshop report for full details): Improving assessment of bycatch within T-RFMOs; Improving ways to mitigate/reduce bycatch within T-RFMOs; Improving cooperation and coordination across RFMOs; and On capacity building for developing countries. In addition, terms of reference were developed for a Bycatch Joint Technical Working Group to facilitate cooperation and coordination on bycatch issues between T-RFMOS. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_01_Fig1.jpg) [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tuna-commissions-kobe-ii-workshop-and-cms-scientific-council-feedback-on-recent-discussions-on-seabird-bycatch) for an earlier news story on the Kobe II Workshop. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/report-of-the-kobe-ii-bycatch-workshop-now-available.md) ## Poor weather continues to slow Macquarie eradication exercise Poor weather is continuing to slow Australian efforts to eradicate rabbits, rats and mice from sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island by poison-bait drop from helicopters.  Weekly station reports on the Australian Antarctic Division's web site ([click here](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288) for the most recent) reveal that the helicopters have been grounded by fog and general bad weather for much of the time in the last several weeks. One report states "a rapid succession of fronts brought fierce northwest winds right through the week, followed by snow showers and rain".  However, baiting has continued intermittently at the northern and southern ends of the island, and field workers are confirming that the three alien mammal species are being knocked out in treated areas.  The area around the station in the north of the island was baited early on and apparently live target animals are no longer being seen in its vicinity.  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey_Petrel_by_Peter_Ryan2.jpg "Grey Petrel: a Macquarie Island breeding species. Photograph by Peter Ryan") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/rodent-eradication-programmes-get-underway-at-sub-antarctic-islands) for an earlier news story on the eradication effort and also to access the project's newsletters and operational plan.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/poor-weather-continues-to-slow-macquarie-eradication-exercise.md) ## Helping save seabirds: news from the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust The Southern Seabird Solutions Trust ([SSST](http://www.southernseabirds.org)) has this month published its 13th Newsletter on line ([click here](http://www.southernseabirds.org/ss-news_and_events) to access the earlier newsletters). The newsletter reports of a competition for New Zealand fishers (the Seabird Safe Award), news of a liaison trip to South Africa, the possibility of Argentina establishing a similar organization to the SSST to facilitate government, academia, environmental groups and industry working more closely on seabird bycatch issues, and the appointment of a new manager for the trust. In addition, the ‘Mitigation Development Pathway' resource has been created as a step-by-step process to assist in the development of mitigation devices and methods. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_04_Fig2.jpg) The SSST's on-line newsletter can be received by e-mail on request to the Trust Manager, Amie Sinden at [info@southernseabirds.org](mailto:info@southernseabirds.org). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/helping-save-seabirds-news-from-the-southern-seabird-solutions-trust.md) ## Distribution and ship attendance of Salvin´s Albatrosses in the South Pacific Ocean revealed in a new study A recent publication appearing in the journal *[Polar Biology](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/300)* gives new information on the Salvin´s Albatross *Thalassarche salvini* in the South Pacific Ocean. Luis Cabezas and Chilean colleagues observed the distribution and ship attendance of Salvin´s Albatrosses by conducting a one-year study of the interactions between artisanal and industrial longline fisheries and marine mammals and seabirds off Chile. A relative large number of birds were sighted primarily in the months of June-July (autumn-winter) and March (late summer).  Both adults and juveniles were recorded during the winter, whereas only adults were seen during the summer. The species was observed over almost the entire range surveyed from 39º to 55ºS, thus covering almost 1200 nautical miles along the Chilean coastline.  Although the species was frequently observed feeding upon fish and offal from the fishing vessels, no individuals were caught on hooks during the study. The Salvin´s Albatross is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN [Red List](http://www.iucnredlist.org) of Threatened Species, and included in Annex 1 of ACAP and in Appendix II of the [Convention of Migratory Species](http://www.cms.int ).  This study demonstrates the value of fishery observer programmes for increasing our understanding of pelagic seabird distribution, as well as for monitoring fishery compliance. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Salvins_flying-by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Salvin's Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") **Reference:** Cabezas, L.A., Moreno, C.A. & Arata, J. 2009.   New records of Salvin's albatross (*Thalassarche salvini*) from fishing boats off southern Chile.  *Polar Biology* 32: 947-951 ([click here](http://www.springerlink.com/content/a7n4k23354640816/?p=731dbcb4211848199ed922ab8a89813f&pi=13)). *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, South American News Correspondent, 22 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/distribution-and-ship-attendance-of-salvinas-albatrosses-in-the-south-pacific-ocean-revealed-in-a-new-study.md) ## Burrow-scoping Grey Petrels on Gough Island: are they affected by mice? Recent research on South Atlantic Gough Island is providing insight into the demographics of ACAP-listed Grey Petrels *Procellaria cinerea*.  Threatened both by drowning on fishery longlines and depredation by introduced mammals, the conservation status of Grey Petrels is a concern and they are recognised as Near Threatened. Breeding sites are found throughout the Southern Ocean: Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Prince Edwards, Crozets, Kerguelen, Macquarie, Campbell, Antipodes and possibly St. Paul.  Census and population trend data are lacking for most of these sites and there is very little information on demographic parameters. Deaths by long-line fishing alone have been estimated to kill *c.* 45 000 birds in New Zealand waters in the past 20 years (Shirihai 2007).  Grey Petrels are the second-most common species observed killed by New Zealand demersal longline vessels (Waugh *et al*. 2008).  The current pest-eradication campaign on Macquarie hopes to benefit the island's small Grey Petrel population. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/grey_petrel_gough_by_kalinka_rexer_huber.jpg "Grey Petrel in its burrow on Gough Island. Photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber") On Gough Island, depredation by introduced House Mice *Mus musculus* is a pressing concern since Grey Petrels are winter breeders.  Mouse depredation has been recorded mainly on winter-breeding seabird species on Gough, notably the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* and the Atlantic Petrel *Pterodroma incerta*. As elsewhere, the size and status of the Grey Petrel population on Gough Island is poorly known, but has been reported as being at least 10 000 pairs (Ryan 2007).  Current research is focusing on demographic parameters and the impacts of House Mice.  After locating active burrows in the montane wet heath areas of Gough, around 500 m a.s.l., burrows are being checked monthly until fledging.  Chick survival observed so far has been worryingly low so the study will be continued into the 2011 breeding season. Researchers using a burrow-scope to view nesting chambers have been challenged by the length of Grey Petrel burrows on Gough.  Many burrows are over 2.5 m in length and have a large muddy ‘moat' that often extends a metre into the burrow. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/grey_petrel_burrowscoping_gough_by_kalinka_rexer-huber.jpg "Graham Parker operates a burrowscope at a Grey Petrel burrow on Gough Island. Photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber") The study is being conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, with funding from the UK Overseas Territories Environment Programme and the approval and support of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and the Tristan Conservation Department. **References:** Ryan, P.G. (Ed.) 2007.  *Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island.  *Newbury: Pisces Publications. Shirihai, H. 2007.  *A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife.  The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean.  *2nd Ed.  London: A&C Black. Waugh, S.M., MacKenzie, D.I. & Fletcher, D. 2008.  Seabird bycatch in New Zealand trawl and longline fisheries 1998-2004.  *Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania* 142: 45-66. *Kalinka Rexer-Huber & Graham Parker, Gough Island, 23 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/burrow-scoping-grey-petrels-on-gough-island-are-they-affected-by-mice.md) ## Macquarie Island alien eradication exercise called off for this year due to bad weather Following a near-continuous run of bad weather which has kept the helicopters largely grounded for weeks, the efforts to eradicate rabbits and rodents at Australia's Macquarie Island have been called off this year ([click here](http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=30027) for the press release by the Tasmanian Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage).  "While the sub-Antarctic winter weather was always going to be a challenge and a known risk, an unusual weather pattern during the past six weeks has concentrated a succession of low pressure systems into a relatively narrow band of latitude around 50-60 degrees South.  This pattern has increased wind speeds and this, combined with low cloud, has meant that the helicopters have been able to fly on only a few days in June and no days in July."  It is considered important to have finished the poison bait drop before the summer-breeding birds return, hence the decision to stop the exercise now.  It is understood a new attempt will be made next year, starting earlier in the season. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross on Macquarie Island. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")  For the latest news from 'Macca' [click here](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/macquarie-island-alien-eradication-exercise-called-off-for-this-year-due-to-bad-weather.md) ## From the South Atlantic to Canada's interior: an Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross turns up on Lake Ontario On 4 July 2010 an Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* was seen flying over Lake Ontario, Canada from the shore of Kingston, some 500 km from the North Atlantic Ocean by Paul Martin of Queen's University. "I was afraid no one was going to believe me," Prof. Martin said. "It was kind of like saying there's a leprechaun in the backyard." On 17 July, two weeks after the Kingston sighting, what must surely be the same bird, deemed to be an adult from photographs, was found in an emaciated condition (weighing only 1.5 kg) on Wolfe Island in the lake, and taken to the [Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre](http://www.sandypineswildlife.org/) in Napanee, near Kingston ([click here](http://www.sandypineswildlife.org/Centre-Updates.php)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/atlantic_yellow_nosed_albatross_canada2_by _sue_meech.jpg "A long way from home: the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross in captivity in Ontario, Canada. Photograph by Sue Meech") The albatross has been gaining mass at the centre on a diet of hand-fed fish and squid, and appears uninjured and disease-free, according to Director Sue Meech and careful thought is now being given to how (and where) it can be released into the wild.  Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses are breeding endemics on the Tristan da Cunha group of islands in the South Atlantic ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access the ACAP Species Assessment), so the Canadian bird is a long way from home. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/atlantic_yellow_nosed_albatross_canada_by _sue_meech.jpg "Ontario's Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross gets a bath. Photograph by Sue Meech") For more information on this wayward albatross visit: [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/wanderer-from-a-distant-sea/article1647673/](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/wanderer-from-a-distant-sea/article1647673/) and [http://travel.canoe.ca/Travel/News/2010/07/21/14779901.html](http://travel.canoe.ca/Travel/News/2010/07/21/14779901.html). For information on vagrant albatrosses crossing the equator, including of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses previously reaching Canadian waters, [click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/crossing-the-line-albatrosses-changing-hemispheres). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/2007-news-archive/rehabilitation-of-wandering-albatross) for a report on the rehabilitation of a South African Wandering Albatross in Australia. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/atlantic_yellow_nosed_albatross_canada3_by _sue_meech.jpg "Ontario's albatross under rehabilitation. Photograph by Sue Meech") Thanks to Sue Meech, Ken Morgan and Rob Ronconi of Canada for their help. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/from-the-south-atlantic-to-canadas-interior-an-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-turns-up-on-lake-ontario.md) ## Follow the latest news of North Pacific albatrosses on the Web To keep in touch with current activities relating to the conservation of Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and Laysan *P. immutabilis* Albatrosses in the North Pacific here are two web sites worth visiting:  **Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Monthly Updates** at [http://www.fws.gov/midway/monthlyupdates.html](http://www.fws.gov/midway/monthlyupdates.html). **FOAM: Friends of Albatross on Midway** at [http://foam-friends-of-albatross-on-midway.blogspot.com/](http://foam-friends-of-albatross-on-midway.blogspot.com/). The latest postings carry news of the banding of chicks, entanglements, satellite tracking, and more. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/laysan_black-footed_midway_by_eric_vanderwerf.jpg "Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses fly over Midway Island. Photograph by Eric Vanderwerf ")   *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/follow-the-latest-news-of-north-pacific-albatrosses-on-the-web.md) ## Looking for funds for the conservation of albatrosses and petrels? New link category established A new link category has been added to this web site, that of **Funding Bodies**.  This [new link](https://www.acap.aq/links/funding-bodies) aims to list funding and granting NGOs, agencies, government bodies, foundations and the like that award money for conservation work or research on ACAP-listed species  Please send brief details of further bodies that fund research and conservation activities on ACAP-listed species for listing to [John.Cooper@acap.aq](mailto:John.Cooper@acap.aq). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant_Petrel_by_Marienne_de_Villiers.jpg "Northern Giant Petrel on Marion Island. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/looking-for-funds-for-the-conservation-of-albatrosses-and-petrels-new-link-category-established.md) ## SCAR Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals meets this week in BA The SCAR Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) meets next week in Buenos Aires, Argentina as part of the meeting of the Standing Scientific Group on Life Sciences ([SSG-LS](http://www.scar.org/researchgroups/lifescience/)) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research ([SCAR](http://www.scar.org/)).  The Chief Officer of EB-BAMM is Mark Hindell (Australia) and its Secretary is Jan Ropert-Coudert (France) who together work with nine members from seven other countries.  EB-BAMM was established by amalgamating the former SCAR Groups of Experts on Birds and on Seals with a new Terms of Reference ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/scar-expert-group-to-include-acap-species-in-a-vertebrate-tracking-data-base)).  The [annual report](http://www.scar.org/researchgroups/lifescience/meetings/2010meeting/LSSSG-10_Doc06_EG-BAMM.pdf) (since July 2009) of the recently constituted Expert Group may be accessed on the SCAR web site.![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/White_chinned_Petrel_by_Ben Phalan.jpg "Displaying White-chinned Petrels. Photograph by Ben Phalan")  It is hoped to bring a report of the 2010 meeting's deliberations in due course.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 July 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/scar-expert-group-on-birds-and-marine-mammals-meets-this-week-in-ba.md) ## Good news for the Waved Albatross? The World Heritage Committee removes Ecuador's Galapagos Islands from its list of sites in danger The World Heritage Committee, meeting in its 34th Session in Brasilia, Brazil this week has removed the Galapagos Islands World Heritage Site from its List of World Heritage in Danger ([click here](http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/636/)).  The Galapagos Islands were inscribed on the Commission's list of World Heritage Sites in 1978 ([click here](http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1)).  "The Galapagos Islands, which have been called a unique "living museum and showcase of evolution" were inscribed on the Danger List in 2007 because of threats posed by invasive species, unbridled tourism and over-fishing.  The Committee found that significant progress had been made by Ecuador in addressing these problems.  It welcomed the Government's continuing efforts to strengthen conservation measures, especially in dealing with introduced species". The Galapagos Islands are practically the sole breeding site of the Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata* ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) for the ACAP Species Assessment). ![Incubating Waved Albatross. Photograph by Kate Huyvaert](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved_ Albatross_incubating_by_Kate_Huyvaert.jpg) The [List of World Heritage in Danger](http://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/)aims to raise international support for the conservation of World Heritage Properties. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 July 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/good-news-for-the-waved-albatross-the-world-heritage-committee-removes-ecuadors-galapagos-islands-from-its-list-of-sites-in-danger.md) ## North Pacific albatross homes attain international status as a World Heritage Site The [World Heritage Committee](http://whc.unesco.org/), currently holding its 34th Session in Brasilia, Brazil, has inscribed the United States' [Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument](http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/) as a mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List ([click here](http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/640)). Proclaimed in June 2006 as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument and renamed as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2007, the monument includes eight atolls/islands which support large breeding populations of Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and Laysan *Phoebastria immutabilis* Albatrosses.  These are Kure, Midway, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, Necker and Nihoa.  Seas out to 50 nm around each island are included within the monument.  "Papahānaumokuākea is a vast and isolated linear cluster of small, low lying islands and atolls, with their surrounding ocean, roughly 250 km to the north-west of the main Hawaiian Archipelago and extending over some 1931 km.  Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons.  It is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the world." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-footed_Albatross_by_James_Lloyd.jpg "Black-footed Albatross: now with international protection. Photograph by James Lloyd") More news of the successful nomination may be found at: [http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/wheritage/welcome.html](http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/wheritage/welcome.html) and [http://www.hawaii247.com/2010/07/30/papahanaumokuakea-marine-national-monument-designated-a-world-heritage-site/](http://www.hawaii247.com/2010/07/30/papahanaumokuakea-marine-national-monument-designated-a-world-heritage-site/). [Click here](http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/management/wh_docs/wh_full_app.pdf) for the the USA's nomination document for its new World Heritage Site.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/north-pacific-albatross-homes-attain-international-status-as-a-world-heritage-site.md) ## Reducing the risks of entanglement and ingestion: removing marine debris from albatross and petrel islands around the World Ingestion of and entanglement with anthropogenic objects floating on the sea surface that have been discarded by vessels or washed into the sea from rivers and storm drains are known risks to albatrosses and petrels over the whole World.  In the Southern Ocean, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources ([CCAMLR](http://www.ccamlr.org)) has adopted measures to reduce such risks ([click here](http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/e_pubs/cm/09-10/26-01.pdf)). [Latest news](http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7288) from Australia's Macquarie Island describes (and depicts) efforts being made to clear that island of anthropogenic marine debris, using helicopters that have been based on the island as part of the recently postponed attempt to eradicate alien mammals. Regular clean-ups of beached marine debris also take place at South Africa's sub-Antarctic Marion Island, as well as at other islands in the Southern Ocean where ACAP-listed species breed and field workers are present.  More problematic is the removal of debris from uninhabited islands that do not support weather or research bases.  In April this year I observed and photographed the many plastic fishing floats and bottles that have accumulated over the years in the westward-facing McNish Bay and at South Cape on Prince Edward Island, 21 km from Marion.  This island is little-visited as a conservation measure to reduce the risks of introducing new alien species.  Nevertheless, a clean-up has been proposed for when the next visit is made, with the collection of debris into piles above the storm line for later removal by helicopter as the first essential step.  Such an effort will allow the rate of arrival of newly washed-up debris to be monitored when further visits are made. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/beach_debris_south cape_prince edward_island_17_april_2010. photograph by john cooper.jpg "Accumulated beach debris at South Cape, Prince Edward Island, April 2010. Photograph by John Cooper") Marine debris clean-ups also take place at the breeding sites of North Pacific albatrosses listed within ACAP ([click here](http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/nwhi2008/marinedebris.html) for an example).  Ingestion of anthropogenic objects, such as cigarette lighters, remains a serious problem for both Laysan *Phoebastria immutabilis* and Black-footed *P. nigripes* Albatrosses in the North Pacific ([click here](http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_31_1.pdf)). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/south-atlantic-wandering-albatrosses-remain-at-risk-from-ingestion-of-and-entanglement-with-fishing-gear) for an earlier news story on this web site on the risks to albatrosses and giant petrels of the ingestion of fishing hooks and entanglement in fishing gear in the Southern Ocean. More information on the marine debris issue may be found in a recent thematic issue 'Plastics, the Environment and Human Health' in the *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Biological Sciences* ([click here](http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1526.toc)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/reducing-the-risks-of-entanglement-and-ingestion-removing-marine-debris-from-albatross-and-petrel-islands-around-the-world.md) ## The First World Seabird Conference takes place next month in Canada The First World Seabird Conference will be held in Victoria, British Columbia ,Canada from 7-11 September ([click here](http://www.worldseabirdconference.com)). A number of primary symposia and special paper sessions are expected to give opportunities for presentations and discussions of relevance to the conservation of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels ([click here](https://www.confmanager.com/communities/c1813/files/hidden/docs/webdocs/WSC_program_2010_02_04.pdf) for a list and description of each symposium and session). A symposium entitled **Interactions between Seabirds and Fisheries: a Global Perspective**to be convened by Ben Sullivan of BirdLife International should be of particular importance, as can be deduced from the following description: "The rapid increase in industrial fisheries around the globe during the 20th century has led to increasing levels of interactions between seabirds and commercial fisheries in both near-shore, coastal and pelagic systems.  These interactions include mortality of seabirds as bycatch, competition between fisheries and seabirds for prey, and the use of discarded bycatch from fisheries as food by scavenging seabirds.  Mortality of seabirds in fisheries is thought to be one of the most critical conservation issues of our time.  This symposium will examine the demographic, behavioural, and ecological responses of seabirds to fisheries, with a particular focus on the role that global climate change may have on these relationships.  A demographic modelling workshop will integrate individual levels assessments of mortality with population consequences.  Other workshops will focus on mitigation measures, working with industry and recreational fishers, and offer new strategies to reduce seabird mortality from bycatch and competition with fisheries for prey in a rapidly changing marine environment." Other sessions will cover such subjects of relevance to ACAP as marine debris, seabird island restoration, and opportunities and challenges for seabird Marine Protected Areas. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black_Petrel_by_Dept_of_Conservation_New_Zealand.jpg "Black Petrel. Photograph by New Zealand Department of Conservation") It is hoped to post a report of the meeting after its completion. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 3 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-first-world-seabird-conference-takes-place-next-month-in-canada.md) ## Into the blogosphere: follow the Albatross Task Force on the web BirdLife International's [Save the Albatross Campaign](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/) established its Albatross Task Force ([ATF](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/taskforce/)) in 2005.  Albatross Task Force teams are based in the bycatch 'hotspots' of southern Africa and South America, where albatrosses and petrels come into contact with large and diverse longline and trawl fishing fleets. The ATF is managed by BirdLife Partner organisations around the world, currently concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Namibia, South Africa and Uruguay.  In each country task force members go to sea on fishing vessels to advise and instruct in mitigation measures to reduce bycatch mortality of albatrosses and petrels and to collect data and conduct research.  The ATF also works on-shore, running workshops with fishers and fisheries management bodies. Task force members write regular blogs of their ship-based activities ([click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/albatross/archive/2010/07/21/visitors-onboard.aspx)).  Following these stories will help keep site visitors up to date with NGO activities designed to help conserve ACAP-listed species - as shown by the following extract from last month's blog by ATF member John Paterson in Namibia: "The last two months have been quite hectic.  The work has been great fun and really rewarding capped by a really good sea trip at the end of May.  I continued with the tori [bird-scaring or streamer] line experiments that I have been doing for the last nine months.  This work has proved to be really successful showing fishermen that tori lines are really effective mitigation measures in trawl fisheries in Namibia.  So far we have not had a single seabird/gear interaction while flying tori lines." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_13_Fig1.jpg) [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/bycatch-mitigation/first-meeting-of-the-birdlife-albatross-task-force) for an earlier ACAP news item on the ATF. See also [http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/index.html](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/index.html) and [http://www.birdlife.org/seabirds/seabird-news.html](http://www.birdlife.org/seabirds/seabird-news.html).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/into-the-blogosphere-follow-the-albatross-task-force-on-the-web.md) ## ACAP welcomes Victoria Gobbi as Argentina's new ACAP Advisory Committee member Argentina's new member of ACAP's Advisory Committee is Sec. Victoria Gobbi, who has replaced Corina Lehmann in the position.  Victoria works in the Environmental Affairs section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, International Commerce and Culture (Dirección General de Asuntos Ambientales, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto).  Secretario de Tercera Clase Gobbi will also be involved with several other international instruments; CMS, CITES and RAMSAR.  The ACAP Secretariat looks forward to welcoming Victoria to its next meeting and to a long and fruitful relationship.  Our appreciation is extended to Corina Lehmann for her hard work and valuable contribution to the work of the Agreement.  We wish her well in her new position within the Ministry. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_by_Flavio_Quintana.jpg "Argentina's breeding ACAP species: the Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Flavio Quintana")  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-welcomes-victoria-gobbi-as-argentinas-new-acap-advisory-committee-member.md) ## Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to consider how to reduce seabird mortality The Sixth Regular Session of the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ([WCPFC](http://www.wcpfc.int/)) will be held from 10-19 August in Nuku'alofa, Tonga ([click here](http://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/2010/6th-regular-session-scientific-committee) to access the agenda and other documents). Several working and information papers to be considered deal with matters pertaining to the conservation of seabirds by reducing bycatch, including of ACAP-listed species.  A list of such papers by authors and title follows:  ACAP:**  Review of seabird bycatch mitigation measures for pelagic longline fishing operations. **[SC6-EB-WP-04_Review_Seabird_Mitigation_for_PelagicLongline_ACAP.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/w/SC6-EB-WP-04_Review_Seabird_Mitigation_for_PelagicLongline_ACAP.pdf). ACAP:**  Options for differential management and monitoring of seabird bycatch. **[SC6-EB-WP-05_Opt_differential_mngmt_Seabird_ACAP.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/w/SC6-EB-WP-05_Opt_differential_mngmt_Seabird_ACAP.pdf). Dominique Filippi , Susan Waugh & Simon Nicol:** Revised spatial risk indicators for seabird interactions with longline fisheries in the western and central Pacific. **[WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-01_seabird_ERA.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/i/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-01_seabird_ERA.pdf). Edward F. Melvin, Troy J. Guy & Lorraine B. Read:  **Shrink and defend: a comparison of two streamer line designs in the 2009 South Africa Tuna Fishery**.  [WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-09_Comparison_two_streamer_line_designs.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/i/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-09_Comparison_two_streamer_line_designs.pdf). Graham Robertson, Steven G. Candy & Barbara Wienecke:  **Effect of line shooter and mainline tension on the sink rates of pelagic longlines and implications for seabird interactions.  **[WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-07_Roberston_line_shooter&mainline_tension_on_sink_rates.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/w/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-07_Roberston_line_shooter%2526mainline_tension_on_sink_rates.pdf). Graham Robertson, Steven G. Candy, Barbara Wienecke & Kieran Lawton.  **Experimental determinations of factors affecting the sink rates of baited hooks to minimise seabird mortality in pelagic longline fisheries.  **[WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-06_Roberston_factors_affecting_sink rates_of_baited_hooks.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/w/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-06_Roberston_factors_affecting_sink%20rates_of_baited_hooks.pdf). Noriyosi Sato, Daisuke Ochi, Hiroshi Minami, Hiroshi Shono & Kotaro Yokawa:  **Experimental comparison among four types tori-line designs in the western North Pacific.** [WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-02_Sato_Tori_Line_Paper.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/w/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-WP-02_Sato_Tori_Line_Paper.pdf). WCPFC Secretariat:  **Seabird bycatch mitigation. **[WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-04_Seabird_Mitigation.pdf](http://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/documents/meetings/scientific-committee/6th-regular-session/ecosystem-and-bycatch-migitation-theme/i/WCPFC-SC6-2010-EB-IP-04_Seabird_Mitigation.pdf). ACAP will be represented at the meeting by its Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth.  It is planned to carry a report of the meeting later in the month *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 August 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-commission-to-consider-how-to-reduce-seabird-mortality.md) ## French researchers study how the environment effects recruitment in Black-browed Albatrosses Marie Nevoux, Henri Weimerskirch and Christophe Barbraud of the Centre d'Etude Biologiques de Chizé in France have studied whether environmental factors affect recruitment in Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris* at Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean.  Their findings have now been published in the journal *[Oecologia](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/442).*   The paper's abstract follows: "Short-term effects of environmental perturbations on various life history traits are reasonably well documented in birds and mammals.  But, in the present context of global climate change, there is a need to consider potential long-term effects of natal conditions to better understand and predict the consequences of these changes on population dynamics.  The environmental conditions affecting offspring during their early development may determine their lifetime reproductive performance, and therefore the number of recruits produced by a cohort.  In this study, we attempted to link recruitment to natal and recent (previous year) conditions in the long-lived Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris* at Kerguelen Islands.  The environmental variability was described using both climatic variables over breeding (sea surface temperature anomaly) and non-breeding grounds (Southern Oscillation index), and variables related to the colony (breeding success and colony size).  Immature survival was linked to the breeding success of the colony in the year of birth, which was expected to reflect the average seasonal parental investment.  At the cohort level, this initial mortality event may act as a selective filter shaping the number, and presumably the quality (breeding frequency, breeding success probability), of the individuals that recruit into the breeding population.  The decision to start breeding was strongly structured by the age of the individuals and adjusted according to recent conditions.  An effect of natal conditions was not detected on this parameter, supporting the selection hypothesis.  Recruitment, as a whole, was thus influenced by a combination of long- and short-term environmental impacts.  Our results highlight the complexity of the influence of environmental factors on such long-lived species, due to the time-lag (associated with a delayed maturity) between the impact of natal conditions on individuals and their repercussion on the breeding population." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") **Reference:** Nevoux, M., Weimerskirch, H & Barbraud, C. 2010. Long- and short-term influence of environment on recruitment in a species with highly delayed maturity.  [*Oecologia* 162: 383-392](http://www.springerlink.com/content/65745753l8315t3k/?p=f52a701de76f434abbdf8627b331909a&pi=11). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/french-researchers-study-how-the-environment-effects-recruitment-in-black-browed-albatrosses.md) ## Among Southern Giant Petrels and Wandering Albatrosses: a short walk on Marion Island Once more I am in the sub-Antarctic, back at South Africa's Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean.  Unlike earlier in the year, this time I am here for a week only, continuing with my research into the island group's human history.  A short walk yesterday to stretch my legs after the long ship journey enabled me to photograph two ACAP-listed species.  Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*, most likely all males, were busy with a Southern Elephant Seal *Mirounga leonina* carcass on Trypot Beach.  The trypot that gives the rocky beach its name is a historical reminder of the exploitation of seals that took place on the island up until 1930. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/southern_giant_petrel_marion_island_by_john_cooper.jpg "A Southern Giant Petrel feeds from an elephant seal carcass on Marion Island. Photograph by John Cooper")  Round the corner a Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* mother and chick watched me as I paused to take their picture, keeping my distance so as not to disturb them unduly.  A second chick has its nest right next to a low mound that marks the grave of Joseph Daniels, who drowned off the island when a ship's boat overturned in heavy surf on 29 January 1948.  The grave is unmarked at the moment while a new cross is made. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/wandering_albatrosses_marion_island_by_john_cooper.jpg "A female Wandering Albatroxs rests near its large downy chick on Marion Island. Photograph by John Cooper")    ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/wandering_albatross_chick_daniels_grave_marion_island_by_john_cooper.jpg "A Wanderer chick beside the grave mound of Joseph Daniels, S.A. Agulhas behind. Photograph by John Cooper") The Northern Giant Petrels *M. halli* have started to lay at Marion, but in accordance with the island's management plan I gave them good space, detouring around occupied nests and so did not take their photographs this time.  My visits to Marion Island are supported by the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University and the South African National Antarctic Programme, Department of Environmental Affairs.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 August 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/among-southern-giant-petrels-and-wandering-albatrosses-a-short-walk-on-marion-island.md) ## An Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross visits the United Kingdom A 2007 vagrant record of an Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* has now been added to the official British List, as published in the July 2010 issue of [*British Bird*s](http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/).  The bird, a juvenile from a photograph, turned up in a Somerset garden on 30 June 2007, with two subsequent sightings made ([click here](http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/currentissue.htm)). Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses have been regularly reported as vagrants in the northern hemisphere from both sides of the Atlantic, most recently in Canada ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/from-the-south-atlantic-to-canadas-interior-an-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-turns-up-on-lake-ontario) to access the latest update on plans to give the Canadian bird a lift back to the southern hemisphere). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Atlantic_Yellow_nosed_Albatross2_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Photograph by Peter Ryan") See also [http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/crossing-the-line-albatrosses-changing-hemispheres](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/crossing-the-line-albatrosses-changing-hemispheres) for a summary of across-the-equator records for this species, endemic to the UK Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 August 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/an-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-visits-the-united-kingdom.md) ## World Heritage Committee releases two reports on albatross heritage sites At its 34th Session, held recently in Brazil, the [World Heritage Committee](http://whc.unesco.org/ )considered two reports received from the World Conservation Union ([IUCN](http://www.iucn.org/), the official technical advisory body to the World Heritage Committee on natural heritage, [click here](http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/wcpa_worldheritage/)) on localities where ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels breed.  These reports among others are now available for consultation on-line ([click here](http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/34COM/documents/) for a full list).  The reports offer succinct but authoritative summaries of the "state of conservation play" and make recommendations for further improvements for each existing or prospective World Heritage Site considered. Document WHC-10/34.COM/7B entitled **State of conservation of World Heritage properties inscribed on the World Heritage List** includes (pp. 41-43) IUCN's report on Macquarie Island, an Australian World Heritage Site in the Southern Ocean that supports populations of several ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels.  The report notes with approval the ongoing (but now delayed to 2011) attempts to eradicate introduced mammals from the island.  It also refers to commercial fishing in the vicinity of Macquarie, as shown by the following quote: "The World Heritage Centre and IUCN consider that all States Parties with such long-line fishing operations should be strongly encouraged to consider adhering to the *Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels*, which would require them to take specific mitigation measures to reduce the number of albatrosses and petrels killed by long-line fishing". IUCN's favourable report (WHC.10/34.COM/INF.8B2, entitled **IUCN Evaluation of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List**, pp. 146-156) on the nomination by the USA of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument led to its successful listing at the Brazil meeting.  This new World Heritage Site contains large populations of two species of North Pacific albatrosses. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-footed_Albatross_by_James_Lloyd.jpg "Black-footed Albatross: a North Pacific species. Photograph by James Lloyd") The World Heritage Committee also took note (WHC.10/34.COM/INF.8B3; **List of nominations received by 1 February 2010 and for examination by the Committee at its 35th Session (2011)**) of the receipt of the nomination documents for the Japanese Ogasawara Islands, home to populations of North Pacific albatrosses.  This nomination will be considered at the 2011 meeting of the committee.  If then adopted most of the North Pacific breeding localities for ACAP-listed albatrosses will fall within World Heritage Sites, giving them an international status. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/world-heritage-committee-releases-two-reports-on-albatross-heritage-sites.md) ## Studying the Northern Giant Petrels of Marion Island: where do they go at sea? The demographics of Northern Giant Petrels *Macronectes halli* have been intensively studied at South Africa's Marion Island since 1974.  Each year a complete "round-island" census is undertaken during incubation and late chick-rearing to obtain trend data in both annual breeding population size and annual production.  Numbers of Northern Giant Petrels at Marion have remained fairly constant since 1996/1997.  The estimate of the total population in 2008 was 365 ± 45 pairs.  In addition, an area on the island's east coast is studied in more detail with all the nests present each year marked at laying, breeding birds colour-banded and nest contents checked at intervals throughout the breeding season. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant_Petrel_by_Marienne_de_Villiers.jpg "Northern Giant Petrel at Marion Island. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") Studies are now being expanded to include movements at sea.  In a joint project between Peter Ryan, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town and Jacob González-Solís, Department of Animal Biology, Barcelona University, geolocator (GLS) loggers are to be deployed on Northern Giant Petrels at Marion Island to assess sex differences in at-sea dispersal.  Thirty loggers will be deployed by field researcher Mia Cerfonteyn on breeding adults (15 of each sex) this breeding season and recovered from austral spring 2011.  The same numbers will be placed in the same season on Southern Giant Petrels *M. giganteus*to ascertain species-specific differences.  **References:**  Cooper, J., Brooke, M.deL., Burger, A.E., Crawford, R.J.M., Hunter, S. & Williams, A.J. 2001.  Aspects of the breeding biology of the Northern Giant Petrel (*Macronectes halli*) and the Southern Giant Petrel (*M. giganteus*) at sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  *International Journal of Ornithology*4: 53-68. Crawford, R.J.M., Cooper, J., Dyer, B.M., Greyling, M.D., Klages, N.T.W., Ryan, P.G., Petersen, S.L., Underhill, L.G., Upfold, L., Wilkinson, W., de Villiers, M.S., du Plessis, S., du Toit, M., Leshoro, T.M., Makhado, A.B., Mason, M., Merkle, D., Tshingana, D., Ward, V.L. & Whittington, P.A.. 2003.  Populations of surface-nesting seabirds at Marion Island, 1994/95-2002/03.  *African Journal of Marine Science*25: 427-439.  [http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=1014](http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=1014). Ryan, P.G., Jones, M.G.W., Dyer, B.M., Upfold, L. & Crawford, R.J.M. 2009.  Recent population estimates and trends in numbers of albatrosses and giant petrels breeding at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands.  *African Journal of Marine Science*31: 409-417.  [http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=3305](http://www.nisc.co.za/oneAbstract?absId=3305). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer with Peter Ryan, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, 16 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/studying-the-northern-giant-petrels-of-marion-island-where-do-they-go-at-sea.md) ## First World Seabird Conference: programme and abstracts now available The 1st World Seabird Conference "Seabirds: Linking the Global Oceans" will be held next month from 7 to 11 September in Victoria, Canada.  [Click here](https://www.confmanager.com/main.cfm?cid=1813&nid=12669 ) for the conference web site.  The conference programme, a list of presenting authors of oral and poster papers, and presentation abstracts (over 600!) are all now available ([click here](https://www.confmanager.com/main.cfm?cid=1813&nid=12723)).  A large number of papers to be presented will consider ACAP-listed species.  The threats, especially from fishing at sea, that albatrosses and petrels face will also be well covered.  ACAP species to be reported on include Wandering *Diomedea exulans*, Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes*, Laysan *P. immutabilis*, Atlantic Yellow-nosed *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* and Black-browed *T. melanophris* Albatrosses, Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* and Black Petrel *Procellaria parkinsoni.*  A paper entitled "Working together to tackle bycatch - the work of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels" will be presented by Mark Tasker, Vice Chair, ACAP Advisory Committee, Barry Baker, Convenor ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Marco Favero, Chair, ACAP Advisory Committee and Warren Papworth, ACAP Executive Secretary.  The abstract follows:  "The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is an intergovernmental conservation mechanism established in 2004 to address the dire state of the world's albatrosses and larger petrels.  Bycatch in fisheries operations is one of the greatest pressures on their populations.  The Agreement is working on several levels to tackle bycatch. It has a grants scheme whereby funds are invested in determining bycatch levels in priority fisheries and in developing promising approaches to bycatch mitigation.  The Agreement has also reviewed published information on bycatch and its mitigation in demersal and pelagic longline, and in trawl fisheries.  This information has been used by Parties to the Agreement in their efforts to reduce bycatch and to develop specific plans of action in their Exclusive Economic Zones.  Challenges in both domestic and high seas fisheries include obtaining sufficient information on bycatch rates and gaining support for implementation of bycatch mitigation measures.  Much work remains to be done to verify the efficacy of mitigation measures.  ACAP has worked collectively to provide technical assistance and to influence decisions in the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations that govern fisheries on the global High Seas.  ACAP cannot work alone and has therefore operated in partnership with other organisations and governments that are not Party to the Agreement, most notably BirdLife International and the USA.  This paper will review some of the approaches being taken to reduce seabird bycatch, and will identify key issues that need to be addressed for the effective implementation of bycatch mitigation measures."  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black_Petrel_by_Dept_of_Conservation_New_Zealand.jpg "The Black Petrel of New Zealand. Photograph courtesy of the NZ Department of Conservation") **NOTE:**  It is hoped to post a report or two from the conference to this web site.  Unfortunately, I will not be attending, as I sail for Gough Island next week to conduct research on Southern Giant Petrels at the species' most northerly breeding locality. No stories are to be expected while I'm at sea, but "normal news" should be reinstituted once I'm ashore. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 August 2012.* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/first-world-seabird-conference-programme-and-abstracts-now-available.md) ## islandNet Newsletter reports on postponement of the Macquarie Island alien mammal eradication project The latest edition of the *islandNet Newsletter (*[No. 5](http://www.feral.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/iN_newsletter5_Aug10b.pdf) of August 2010) carries an illustrated article by Project Manager Keith Springer on the this winter's unfortunate failure to compete the aerial poison bait drop on Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, due to unrelieved poor, non-flying weather. This disappointing news is tempered by the intention to try again next year:  "A number of important lessons were learnt during the 2010 winter, and will enhance the planning for next year's aerial baiting program.  Baiting team size will be increased, some improvements made to procedural aspects, some amendments made to applications of bait, and additional effort put into searching for and removing dead animals to reduce the incidence of non-target species mortality." The *islandNet Newsletter* is an initiative of Australia's [Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre](http://www.invasiveanimals.com/).  The islandNet network and its newsletter were recently established by the IA CRC with funding support from the Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, primarily to help facilitate the conservation management of Australia's offshore islands.  Earlier editions of the newsletter may be found by going to [http://www.feral.org.au/islandnet/newsletter/](http://www.feral.org.au/islandnet/newsletter/). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-browed Albatross Preening by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross on Macquarie Island. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") [Click here](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/macquarie-island/this-week-at-macquarie-island2) to obtain a weekly update on activities at Macquarie Is1and. Let us hope that by the time of the next meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee, scheduled to be held in Ecuador in August 2011, Australia will be able to bring news of a successful eradication of Macquarie's alien rabbits and rodents, and that, as consequence, the future will have improved for the island's seabirds, including its ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/islandnet-newsletter-reports-on-postponement-of-the-macquarie-island-alien-mammal-eradication-project.md) ## Each individual counts: rescuing threatened albatrosses from hooks and storms Back in February this year a hooked albatross was seen and caught from a tour vessel of [Tasman Island Cruises](http://www.tasmancruises.com.au/) off the coast of Tasmania, Australia.  It was released at sea the next day after the hook was successfully removed from its bill ashore ([click here](http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/challenge-to-get-seabirds-off-the-hook-20100315-q928.html) for the original news story on the event). More information on this bird, identified as a Gibson's Albatross *Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni*, has now been published along with several photographs in the July 2010 issue (No. 45) of *The Albatross*, newsletter of the Southern Ocean Seabird Study Association ([SOSSA](http://www.sossa-international.org)). For another albatross rescue story, this time from New Zealand of a Northern Royal Albatross *D. sanfordi*, blown into a suburban garden during a storm, [click here](http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3452784/Storm-blows-albatross-into-suburban-yard).  For news of a Shy Albatross *Thalassarche cauta* being unhooked [click here](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/28/2726718.htm?section=justin). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal_Albatross_500th_chick_by_Lyndon_Perriman.jpg "Northern Royal Albatross and chick. Photograph by Lyndon Perriman ") Back issues of *The Albatross* from No. 1 of July 1993 may be found at [http://www.sossa-international.org/Pages/Front%20Pages/Newsletters.htm](http://www.sossa-international.org/Pages/Front%20Pages/Newsletters.htm). See also: [http://www.acap.aq/2007-news-archive/rehabilitation-of-wandering-albatross](https://www.acap.aq/2007-news-archive/rehabilitation-of-wandering-albatross) and [http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/from-the-south-atlantic-to-canadas-interior-an-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-turns-up-on-lake-ontario](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/from-the-south-atlantic-to-canadas-interior-an-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-turns-up-on-lake-ontario). **Reference:** Whylie, B. 2010.  One albatross off the hook.  *The Albatross* 45: 7-8. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/each-individual-counts-rescuing-threatened-albatrosses-from-hooks-and-storms.md) ## ACAP supports the work of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission's Scientific Committee The 6th Regular Session of the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ([WCPFC-SC6](http://www.wcpfc.int/)) was held over the period 10-19 August 2010 in Nukualofa, Tonga.  A large number of documents relevant to the conservation of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels was tabled at the meeting ([click here](http://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/2010/6th-regular-session-scientific-committee)), including several presented by Warren Papworth, ACAP's Executive Secretary.  An update of the ecological risk assessment  (ERA) presented to last year's meeting indicates that the area in the South Pacific where the most vulnerable seabirds are likely to be caught is likely to extend north to 25°S.  It was noted that the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission ([IOTC](http://www.iotc.org)) has recently passed a resolution extending the region where its seabird management measures are applied to 25°S, and it was suggested that the WCPFC extend its own Conservation and Management Measure ([CMM 2007-04](http://www.wcpfc.int/doc/cmm-2007-04/conservation-and-management-measure-mitigate-impact-fishing-highly-migratory-fish-st) "Conservation and Management Measure to Mitigate the Impact of Fishing for Highly Migratory Fish Stocks on Seabirds), currently set only to operate south of 30°C, to be in line with IOTC current practice.  The meeting recommended that The Secretariat of the Pacific Community - Oceanic Fisheries Programme ([SPC-OFP](http://www.spc.int/))) and ACAP provide advice on observer data and information on seabird distribution to the WCPFC Secretariat after which a decision could be made on whether to proceed with a formal new analysis of risk levels of longline fishing to seabirds in this area.  The Scientific Committee (SC) noted that extensive research is currently underway aimed at providing a scientific basis for additional changes to CMM 2007-04 and that recent research undertaken by Edward Melvin ([Washington Sea Grant](http://www.wsg.washington.edu/), University of Washington, USA) and colleagues in the South African tuna fishery with the support of the Japan Tuna Fisheries Cooperative Association had highlighted the importance of line weighting of pelagic longlines.  This is likely to be one of the most effective mitigation measures in reducing or eliminating seabird interactions with baited hooks, and the SC recommended further research be undertaken to enable refinement of the ‘weighted branch lines' specifications contained in CMM 2007-04.  The SC decided that amendments to CMM 2007-04 should not be made until such time as there are sufficient changes to warrant revision.  It is expected that substantial findings will come out of research being undertaken over the next year and that these may provide the substantive changes required by the WCPFC's Scientific Committee. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_08_Fig1.jpg) **Reference:**  Edward F. Melvin, E.F., Guy, T.J. & Read, L.B.  2010.  Shrink and defend: a comparison of two streamer line designs in the 2009 South Africa tuna fishery.  [WCPFC-SC6-2010/EB-IP-09](http://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/2010/6th-regular-session-scientific-committee).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer & Warren Papworth, ACAP Executive Secretary, 31 August 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-supports-the-work-of-the-western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-commissions-scientific-committee.md) ## The Important Bird Areas concept reaches Antarctica - and its Southern Giant Petrels Environmental Research & Assessment ([ERA](http://www.era.gs)) is working with [BirdLife International](http://www.birdlife.org), with generous support from the Polar Regions Unit of the United Kingdom's [Foreign & Commonwealth Office](http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/), to progress the network of Antarctic Important Bird Areas (IBAs).  The BirdLife [IBA Programme](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/index.html ) aims to identify, monitor and protect regions particularly valuable for threatened, endemic and congregatory bird species.  IBAs are only designated if they satisfy an internationally-agreed set of criteria, which are based on the numbers and species of birds present. In 2002, BirdLife International and the then Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research ([SCAR](http://www.scar.org/)) Group of Experts on Birds established a draft inventory of Antarctic Important Bird Areas, which was revised in 2006.  ERA has now begun work with BirdLife International to prepare a finalised list of IBAs with boundaries and to prepare site descriptions.  At this stage, the analysis has been restricted to the Antarctic Peninsula region (including the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands). So far, five Antarctic Peninsula localities have been deemed to meet the IBA criteria for Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*, the only ACAP-listed species that breeds within the region covered.  With a cut-off of 485 annually breeding pairs, these localities include Signy Island (1040 pairs), Harmony Point, Nelson Island (746 pairs) and Penguin Island, King George Island (634 pairs). It is intended to expand the study to cover the remaining areas of the Antarctic Continent in due course, with collaborative support from ACAP and from SCAR. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_flying_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Warwick Barnes")  [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/management-plans/mgmt-plans-sgp) for information on Southern Giant Petrels breeding on the Antarctic Continent, including the Peninsula region.  With thanks to Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife International for information.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 September 2010* [http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/index.html](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/index.html)  [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-important-bird-areas-concept-reaches-antarctica-and-its-southern-giant-petrels.md) ## Annual Gough Island expedition sails: another step towards mouse eradication on a World Heritage Site An international team of nine marine ornithologists, island conservation managers and rope-access technicians (and ACAP's Information Officer) leaves Cape Town this afternoon on the South African Antarctic supply ship, the *S.A. Agulhas*, for Gough Island in the South Atlantic. Gough Island falls under the administration of Tristan da Cunha, itself part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.  Along with Inaccessible Island in the Tristan Group it forms one of the few UK natural World Heritage Sites.  It is also a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance and a Tristan Nature Reserve.  Gough supports large seabird populations, including of five ACAP-listed species, of which two, the Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* and the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos*, are endemic to the Tristan Group.  It has become well-known that the seabirds of Gough, especially the [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30013&m=0)Tristan Albatross, are threatened with extinction from attacks by introduced House Mice *Mus musculus*.  In all years studied in the last decade, the breeding success of these albatrosses has been far lower than can sustain the population, due to the high numbers of chicks killed by mice in the post-brood winter period. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_chick_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "A Tristan Albatross is attacked by mice at night. Photograph by Ross Wanless") The expedition, as in recent years, is being organized jointly by the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ([RSPB](http://www.rspb.org.uk/)) and the [FitzPatrick Institute](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/) of the University of Cape Town, with logistic support from the South African National Antarctic Programme ([SANAP](http://www.sanap.org.za/)) of the Department of Environment Affairs.  The research is largely funded by the United Kingdom Government's Overseas Territories Environment Programme ([OTEP](http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/index.htm)) and [Darwin Initiative](http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/) and, this year for the first time, by the [Royal Naval Bird Watching Society](http://www.rnbws.org.uk/).  The expedition will work closely with seconded staff from the Tristan Conservation Department, two of whom will join the expedition when the ship calls at Tristan before reaching Gough. Research activities on ACAP species will include continuing demographic monitoring of Tristan and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, commencing a new demographic study of the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* (Gough is its most northerly breeding locality) and continued monitoring of breeding success of Grey Petrels *Procellaria cinerea*, as well as of other species of burrowing petrels and the Northern Rockhopper Penguin *Eudyptes moseleyi*. In addition to the above ornithological research, two island management experts from New Zealand have joined the team to commence the writing of the required operational plan for the eradication of Gough's "killer mice" ([click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp) for the eradication feasibility study and related studies).  Alien plant eradication work will also continue on the coastal cliffs.  It is intended to write and post news stories from Gough Island highlighting different aspects of the expedition's work on ACAP species, and the people involved, once we are all ashore in about a week's time.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/annual-gough-island-expedition-sails-another-step-towards-mouse-eradication-on-a-world-heritage-site.md) ## From Enderby to Gough: eradicating alien mice on seabird islands Enderby Island at 700 ha still remains the largest island from which the introduced House Mouse *Mus musculus* has definitely been removed - back in 1993.  Enderby is part of New Zealand's Auckland Island group and supports a population of ACAP-listed Southern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea epomophora*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Southern_royal Albatross by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Southern Royal Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") However, since then it seems increasingly likely that aerial bait drops have now succeeded in eradicating House Mice on larger islands in New Zealand.  Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park (*c*. 1200 ha, treated in 2008) and Rangitoto/Motutapu (two islands connected by a causeway with a combined area of 3800 ha in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland and treated in 2009) so far appear mouse-free.  These efforts are balanced by failures to eradicate mice at a number of islands, including *c*. 2000-ha Île Australie in the French Îles Kerguelen.  A renewed attempt to clear Australia's Macquarie Island (12 785 ha) of mice (as well as of rabbits and rats) will be made next year, following this year's unsuccessful effort ([click here](http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=30027)). Gough Island in the South Atlantic where mice are ravaging the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross *D. dabbenena* may be the next large mouse-ridden island at 6500 ha destined for a poison-bait drop.  Two New Zealand alien eradication experts, Nick Torr, a private consultant and Chris Golding of the Department of Conservation ([DOC](http://www.doc.govt.nz)), arrived on Gough this week to gather information on (and impressions of) the island towards producing the necessary operational plan.  The plan will set out in detail the procedures that need to be followed to achieve eradication ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013) to access the Macquarie Island Operational Plan as an example) and to allow a budget to be drawn up. The plan will be produced on behalf of the United Kingdom's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ([RSPB](http://www.rspb.org.uk)) with funding from the UK Goverment's [Darwin Initiative](http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/) and [Overseas Territories Environment Programme](http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/index.htm) and with the support of the Conservation Department of Tristan da Cunha.  The experts' visit to Gough forms part of a large research and management group present on the island at the time of the annual relief of the [South African weather station](http://www.sanap.org.za). **Further reading:** Angel, A. & Cooper, J. 2006.  A review of the impacts of introduced rodents on the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Gough.  *RSPB Research Report* No. 17.  58 pp. [http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp](http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp). Angel, A, Wanless, R.M. & Cooper, J. 2008.  Review of impacts of the introduced House Mouse on islands in the Southern Ocean: are mice equivalent to rats?  *Biological Invasions* 11: 1743-1754. Golding, C. 2010.  Mouse *Mus musculus*eradication by aerial bait application on Adele, Tonga and Fisherman Islands, Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand.  *Conservation Evidence*: 7: 62-68.  [http://www.conservationevidence.com/](http://www.conservationevidence.com/). Parkes, J. 2008.  A feasibility study for the eradication of House Mice from Gough Island.  *RSPB Research Report* No. 34.  51 pp. [ttp://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp](http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp). Torr, N. 2002.  Eradication of rabbits and mice from subantarctic Enderby and Rose Islands. In: Veitch, C.R. & Clout, M.N. (Eds).  Gland & Cambridge: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.  pp. 319-328. Wanless, R.M., Angel, A., Cuthbert, R.J., Hilton, G.M. & Ryan, P.G. 2007.  Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions?  *Biology Letters* 3: 241-244. Wanless, R.M., Cooper, J., Slabber, M. & Ryan, P.G. in press.  Risk assessment of terrestrially foraging birds on Marion and Gough Islands to primary and secondary poisoning by rodenticides.  *Wildlife Research.* Wanless, R.M., Fisher, P., Cooper, J., Parkes, J. & Ryan, P.G. 2008.  Bait acceptance by House Mice: an island field trial.  *Wildlife Research* 35: 806-811. Wanless, R.M., Ryan, P.G., Altwegg, R., Angel, A., Cooper, J. Cuthbert, R.[J.] & Hilton, G.M. 2009.  From both sides: dire demographic consequences of carnivorous mice and longlining for the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatrosses on Gough Island.  *Biological Conservation* 142: 1710-1718. With thanks to Chris Golding, Richard Cuthbert and Nick Torr for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, on Gough Island, 11 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/from-enderby-to-gough-eradicating-alien-mice-on-seabird-islands.md) ## Employment opportunity in New Zealand with Southern Seabird Solutions Trust: help save albatrosses and petrels from the effects of fishing [Southern Seabird Solutions Trust](http://www.southernseabirds.org) is looking for someone capable of supporting the development and testing of new fishing practices and technology that could reduce seabird captures during fishing.  The person will be required to coordinate with a range of experts and provide advice and support to inventors who have innovative ideas or early prototypes that could potentially reduce the risk of seabirds being caught during recreational or commercial fishing.  For more information on the Trust and for the contract description see [http://www.southernseabirds.org/n1759,182.html](http://www.southernseabirds.org/n1759,182.html).  If you are interested and have the expertise, skills and experience described in the Contract Description, please send a CV and covering letter by e-mail to:  Janice Molloy, Convenor, Southern Seabird Solutions Trust, [janice.molloy@mac.com](mailto:janice.molloy@mac.com)  Applications close 17 October 2010.  This project is sponsored by WWF, Sea Lord, Sanford, Encounter Foundation, Mares, and the Northern Fisheries Management Company, Ltd.  Southern Seabird Solutions Trust is financially supported by the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Bullers_Albatross_Feeding-in-water_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Buller's Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/employment-opportunity-in-new-zealand-with-southern-seabird-solutions-trust-help-save-albatrosses-and-petrels-from-the-effects-of-fishing.md) ## A demographic study of Southern Giant Petrels commences on Gough Island A demographic study of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* has been started on Gough Island in the South Atlantic, the species' most northerly breeding locality. There are three major breeding sites on the island, and the one closest to the South African weather station (but still a four-hour walk away) below Low Hump on the west coast has been chosen for the long-term study. Over a three-day period this week, 162 nests occupied by incubating birds were staked with numbered poles.   The birds present are being both metal and colour-banded.  In addition all the incubating birds were photographed and their bill measurements taken to aid in sexing (giant petrels exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, with males being markedly larger than females). Return visits to the colony will be made at three- to four-day intervals to record and band partners over the next few weeks.  Later in the year, the surviving chicks will be banded. It is hoped the new study will continue for a number of years, to allow information such as age at first breeding and fidelity to mate to be ascertained. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_colony_Gough_Island_by_John_Cooper.jpg "The Southern Giant Petrel colony near Low Hump on Gough Island. Photograph by John Cooper") The study has been funded by a Captain Simpson Scholarship awarded to John Cooper by the Royal Naval Birdwatching Society.  The support of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the South African National Antarctic Programme and the Tristan Conservation Department is gratefully acknowledged. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/demographic-study-of-southern-giant-petrel-commences-on-gough-island.md) ## Prince Charles supports albatross conservation at the 1st World Seabird Conference The [1st World Seabird Conference](http://www.worldseabirdconference.com/main.cfm?cid=1813) "Linking the Global Oceans" was held in Victoria, Canada from 7-11 September -2010. The conference was opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales who delivered a pre-recorded welcoming address.  "As some of you may know, the plight of seabirds has long been close to my heart", he said.  "They are, without doubt, some of the world's most charismatic and iconic species". Delegates were reminded of the urgent need for action in the light of statistics such as 97 (28%) of the world's 346 species of seabird - and over 75% of albatross species - are presently languishing under global threat of extinction. " That they face such challenges to their continued survival is, frankly, terrifying", said The Prince. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/Chatham_Albatross_by_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Chatham Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") For more news of the conference click on: [http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/09/largest-seabird-event-ever-aims-high.html](http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/09/largest-seabird-event-ever-aims-high.html). and [http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2010/2010-09-08-02.html](http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2010/2010-09-08-02.html). * John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/prince-charles-supports-albatross-conservation-at-the-1st-world-seabird-conference.md) ## Latest news of the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project The latest issue of the *Macquarie Dispatch*, newsletter of the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (No. 6 of September 2010) has now been published ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001)). Following the unfortunate failure of the 2010 bait drop (due to exceptionally poor weather hampering flying) baiting team size will be increased next year, improvements made to bait application and additional effort put into searching for and removing dead animals (rabbits and rodents) to reduce the mortality of non-target species. The pest eradication team hopes to travel to the island by late April 2011, gaining an additional five weeks of available time for aerial baiting. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_Aleks Terauds.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/latest-news-of-the-macquarie-island-pest-eradication-project.md) ## Reducing seabird strikes with trawl cables in the Northern Hemisphere Ed Melvin (School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington) and colleagues have published an on-line paper in the journal *[Polar Biology](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/300)* which shows that seabird mortality by collisions with trawl cables is not restricted to the southern hemisphere.  They found that, as in the south, streamer lines were the most effective mitigation measure. The paper's abstract follows: "Effective mitigation measures were developed to reduce high levels of seabird mortality due to warp strikes in southern hemisphere trawl fisheries.  However, in northern hemisphere trawl fisheries, little is known about the extent of cable strike seabird mortality or techniques to mitigate it.  We compared the rate of heavy seabird strikes by third-wire cables and warps, using three mitigation measures compared to a control of no mitigation.  Experiments were conducted aboard two catcher-processor vessels targeting Walleye Pollock *Theragra chalcogramma* in the eastern Bering Sea: one that rendered offal into fish meal and fish oil (Vessel R) and one that minced offal prior to discharge (Vessel M).  More birds attended Vessel M, but the rate of seabird cable strikes was higher on Vessel R due to the greater aerial extent of its cables.  Streamer lines significantly reduced heavy seabird strikes by both cable types regardless of discharge characteristics.  Reducing the aerial extent of third wires also reduced third-wire strike rates, but this method was less effective than streamer lines.  Warp booms designed to divert seabirds from warps failed to reduce seabird warp strikes, but this technique could be improved.  These results show for the first time that seabird strikes with modern third-wire trawl sonar cable systems can be reduced through mitigation or gear modification and that warp strikes can be mitigated with techniques similar to those found successful in southern hemisphere fisheries. Mitigation measures and concepts identified in this study should be widely applicable."  **Reference:** Melvin, E.F., Dietrich, K.S. & Cardoso, T. 2010. Reducing seabirds strikes with trawl cables in the pollock catcher-processor fleet in the eastern Bering Sea.  *Polar Biology.*[http://www.springerlink.com/content/100450/?Content+Status=Accepted](http://www.springerlink.com/content/100450/?Content+Status=Accepted)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_13_Fig1.jpg) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/reducing-seabird-strikes-with-trawl-cables-in-the-northern-hemisphere.md) ## Northern Giant Petrels counted at Australia's Macquarie Island Recent weekly newsletters from Australia's Macquarie Island ([click here](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/macquarie-island/this-week-at-macquarie-island/2010/24-september-2010)) reveal that the island's population of Northern Giant Petrels *Macronectes halli* has been counted this year by a team of four staff, led by rangers of the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service, the first census undertaken in three years. "It is pleasing to report that the number of breeding pairs is nearly the same as that recorded at the last census three years ago, suggesting that no significant impact on these spectacular birds resulted from the pest eradication program activities through the winter, despite some birds having died through eating poisoned rabbits."  The global population of the Northern Giant Petrel has been estimated as *c.* 11 800 annually breeding pairs ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access  the ACAP species' account).  Macquarie supported 1793 breeding pairs in 2008, or 15.2% of the global total. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant_Petrel_by_Marienne_de_Villiers.jpg "Northern Giant Petrel on South Africa's Marion Island. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") Information on the Macquarie pest eradication programme can be found by searching on "Macquarie Island" for earlier news items posted to this web site  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/northern-giant-petrels-counted-at-australias-macquarie-island.md) ## The Northern Royal Albatrosses of Taiaroa Head There are few places where members of the public are able to view breeding albatrosses without partaking in an expensive sea cruise.  One such place is Taiaroa Head at the end of the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, New Zealand.  Here a small population of Northern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea sanfordi* may be viewed from an observation facility at the [Royal Albatross Centre](http://www.albatross.org.nz/index.html). This year (the 2009/2010 breeding season) all 17 eggs that were laid hatched, a record for the colony.  By August 16 of these chicks had survived, with fledging expected by late September. On 7 September the first bird, a 26-year old male, returned to initiate the 2010/11 breeding season. News of the colony may be followed at [http://www.albatross.org.nz/news.html](http://www.albatross.org.nz/news.html). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal_Albatross_500th_chick_by_Lyndon_Perriman.jpg "Northern Royal Albatross and chick, Taiaroa Head. Photograph by Lyndon Perriman") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/here http://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Northern Royal Albatross. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-northern-royal-albatrosses-of-taiaroa-head.md) ## BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme publishes No. 6 of its newsletter, Sea Change The BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme has published Issue 6 (August 2010) of its newsletter, *Sea Change* ([click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Sea_change_tcm9-258696.pdf)). The 12-page issue has reports on an Albatross Task Force workshop held this year in Buenos Aires, using a "surfboard" to deter seabirds from trawlers and a "hook pod" to reduce pelagic longline mortality, news of the Global Procellariiform Tracking Database and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and more. There is also a rather good cartoon, of what seems to be an albatross complaining it was not invited to the [First World Seabird Conference](http://www.worldseabirdconference.com/main.cfm?cid=1813), held earlier this month. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_dead_by_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatross: a victim of longlining. Photograph by Graham Robertson") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/birdlifes-global-seabird-programme-publishes-no-6-of-its-newsletter-sea-change.md) ## The Global Procellariiform Tracking Database gets its own web site The Global Procellariiform Tracking Database ("Tracking Ocean Wanderers") of [BirdLife International](http://www.birdlife.org) now has it own web site ([[http://www.seabirdtracking.org/](http://www.seabirdtracking.org/)[http://www.seabirdtracking.org/](http://www.seabirdtracking.org/)](http://www.seabirdtracking.org/)[http://www.seabirdtracking.org/](http://www.seabirdtracking.org/).) "The database is the largest collection of seabird tracking data in existence.  It serves as a central store for seabird tracking data from around the world and aims to help further seabird conservation work and support the tracking community. "The database, bringing together data from a range of seabird species and families, has been made possible entirely though the unique collaboration of seabird scientists from around the world.  The website has been developed to build links between data owners and their data, as well as provide tools to support data submission and standardising as well as to foster further seabird conservation work. "Data can be searched and viewed (subject to owner's permissions) within the site, but actual access to tracking data is restricted within a request process.  Data contributors are provided with direct access to their data via profile pages, where their data can be searched, edited and downloaded." The database contains 126 datasets, contributed by 33 researchers for 30 species.  There are over 4900 tracks, totalling no less than a million and a quarter data points included. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_00_Fig1.jpg) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-global-procellariiform-tracking-database-gets-its-own-web-site.md) ## The Convention on Migratory Species calls for tenders to assess bycatch in gill net fisheries The Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species ([CMS](http://www.cms.int)) has issued a tender notice for a global assessment of bycatch in gill net fisheries. The contractor will be required to carry out a comprehensive review of gill net fisheries to assess the available information on the bycatch of seabirds, marine turtles, sharks and marine mammals, under the stewardship of the CMS Conference-appointed Scientific Councillor for Bycatch, Mr Barry Baker.  Maximum funds available for this project are USD 43 693. Whereas there is a general interest in all migratory species, of particular concern are species listed on the CMS Appendices, many of which are threatened with extinction.  Such species include all the albatrosses and petrels listed within ACAP. The review should also identify mitigation measures aimed at reducing mortalities of migratory species due to interactions with gill net fishing gear, and assess their effectiveness. The specific aims and objectives of the project are to: - 1. Carry out a comprehensive review of all global commercial and artisanal gill net fisheries to assess the available information on the bycatch of seabirds, marine turtles, sharks and marine mammals. - 2. Where possible, for each fishery, examine recent fishing effort and bycatch information and evaluate the level of impact on non-target species, particularly CMS-listed species. - 3. Review mitigation methods aimed at reducing mortalities of seabirds, marine turtles, sharks and marine mammals due to interactions with gill net fishing gear, and prepare a comprehensive report assessing their effectiveness, recommending mitigation methods for fisheries, and identifying areas for further research. - 4. Prepare a report that identifies the importance of bycatch in gill net fisheries as a threat to migratory species and provides an overview of priority fisheries, regions and species which will benefit from international action through the CMS. Send a request for the detailed tender notice and tenders to: Ms Heidrun Frisch, Marine Mammals Officer, UNEP/CMS Secretariat, UN Campus, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10, 53113 Bonn, Germany; [hfrisch@cms.int](mailto:hfrisch@cms.int). The closing date for submitting tenders is 25 October 2010. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 September 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-convention-on-migratory-species-calls-for-tenders-to-assess-bycatch-in-gill-net-fisheries.md) ## Getting the lead out: saving the Laysan Albatrosses of Midway Island from poisoning Studies conducted on USA's Sand Island, part of Midway Atoll in the North West Hawaiian Islands, have shown that Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis* chicks exhibit symptoms of lead toxicity leading to mortality, thought due to ingestion of lead-based paint chips and soil contaminated with paint chips.  Up to 7% of the chicks on the island fail to fledge as a result of lead poisoning each year, estimated in one recent study to result in a 16% reduction in population size ( some 190 000 less birds) 50 years in the future unless action is taken (click here [http://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/lead-poisoning-threatens-the-laysan-albatrosses-of-midway](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/lead-poisoning-threatens-the-laysan-albatrosses-of-midway)). The primary sources of the paint chips that contaminate the soil where the albatrosses breed are the various buildings and structures on Sand Island, some of which date back to the early 1900s.  From 2005 to February 2010 the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) treated 24 of the 95 buildings on the island that are contaminated with lead-based paints. The FWS has now authorized initiation of an expanded Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis to delineate further the nature and extent of the release of lead contamination at Midway, to develop and evaluate removal action alternatives, and to implement an appropriate alternative by July 2011.  The US Department of the Interior's Central Hazardous Materials Fund is providing US $1.4 million to examine the extent of contamination and to develop removal alternatives and associated cleanups. Click here [http://www.fws.gov/midway/lpa.html](http://www.fws.gov/midway/lpa.html) for more details of this initiative to help conserve the Laysan Albatross. Midway Atoll is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, now a listed site under the World Heritage Convention. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan Albatross by James Lloyd.jpg "Laysan Albatross. Photograph by James Lloyd") The ACAP Species Assessment for the Laysan Albatross can be accessed from [http://www.acap.aq/acap-species](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/getting-the-lead-out-saving-the-laysan-albatrosses-of-midway-island-from-poisoning.md) ## A white-phase Southern Giant Petrel visits Gough Island White-phase Southern Giant Petrels occur more commonly at high latitudes.  Gough Island in the South Atlantic is the most northerly breeding locality for the species and records of white-phase individuals are rare there, mostly seen during winter (Ryan 2007).  To date no white-phase birds have been seen ashore on Gough. During September 2010 a white-phase Southern Giant Petrel was seen repeatedly over several days and photographed flying close by and on the sea surface from the m.v. *S.A. Agulhas*while anchored or steaming close inshore of the east coast of Gough Island. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/white-phase_southern_giant_petrel_gough_sept2010_2_steve_yaxley.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/white-phase_southern_giant_petrel_gough_sept2010_steve_yaxley.jpg "White-phase Southern Giant Petrel off Gough Island. Photograph by Steve Yaxley ") Thanks to Steve Yaxley, Chief Engineer, m.v. *S.A. Agulhas*, who made the observations and took the photographs. **Reference:** Ryan, P.G. (Ed.). 2007.  *Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island*.  Newbury: Tristan Government. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/a-white-phase-southern-giant-petrel-visits-gough-island.md) ## Female Southern Giant Petrels at Gough Island visit Tristan da Cunha 400 km away during incubation During a two-day stopover at the main island of Tristan da Cunha 413 km from Gough Island from 30 September to 2 October 2010 repeated daytime counts were made of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* attracted by recreational fishing activities aboard the m.v. *S.A. Agulhas* anchored 750 m offshore of the settlement of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.  All giant petrels observed were visually checked with binoculars for the presence of both metal and colour bands and attempts made to identify and photograph any colour bands seen. Up to nine Southern Giant Petrels at a time could be checked for the presence of colour bands from the ship lying off Tristan.  Three birds (A20, C80 and D15) colour banded as incubating birds on Gough Island were observed off Tristan.  The elapsed periods were respectively 19, 8 and 3 days after banding.  The first two of these birds were photographed with their bands clearly legible.  In all three cases the three birds were the smaller members of the breeding pair and are thus assumed to be females of this highly dimorphic species.  All the birds observed closely from the ship appeared to be of much the same size as the colour-banded birds when seen next to them, suggesting they too were all females. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/southern_giant_petrel_c80_tristan_graham_parker.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/southern_giant_petrel_a20_tristan_graham_parker.jpg "Colour-banded Southern Giant Petrels at Tristan da Cunha. Photograph by Graham Parker") Thanks to Stephen Lucocq and Graham Parker for observations and photographs, and to the Royal Naval Birdwatching Society for the award of a Captain Simpson Scholarship to John Cooper to study the giant petrels of Gough Island.  Logistical support was received from the South African National Antarctic Programme of the Department of Environmental Affairs. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/female-southern-giant-petrels-at-gough-island-visit-tristan-da-cunha-400-km-away-during-incubation.md) ## The "killer mice" strike again: Tristan Albatrosses on Gough have yet another very poor breeding year Yet once more the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* of Gough Island are having a very poor breeding year. Of an estimated 1826 incubating birds in early February 2010 only 406 chicks could be counted this and last month, representing a breeding success (if all these surviving chicks fledge come year-end) of 22.2%.  This figure compares with those of 27.2% last year and 13.9% in 2008 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/tristan-albatrosses-have-another-poor-breeding-year)). The 2008 breeding success was the worst ever out of seven seasons recorded since 2001.  But breeding success in all the years of study has been far below what is considered normal (of the order of 70-75%) for a great albatross of the genus *Diomedea*.  As a consequence production remains far below that required to stop the population heading to inevitable extinction. It is certain the continued poor breeding success is due to depredation by Gough's "killer mice" (the House Mouse *Mus musculus*).  All the more important then that planning has now commenced for their eradication ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/from-enderby-to-gough-eradicating-alien-mice-on-seabird-islands)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_female_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "An incubating female Tristan Albatross. Photograph by John Cooper") [Click here](http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/projects/tristandacunha/publications.asp) for the RSPB's feasibility study for the eradication of Gough's mice. Research on albatrosses (and mice) on Gough Island is supported by the UK's Overseas Territories Environment Programme and the South African National Antarctic Programme and is administered jointly by the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer and Richard Cuthbert, Graham Parker, Kalinka Rexer-Huber and Erica Sommer, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 13 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-qkiller-miceq-strike-again-tristan-albatrosses-on-gough-have-yet-another-very-poor-breeding-year.md) ## First definite record of the Tristan Albatross for Uruguay? Although it is known that Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* regularly visit the south-west Atlantic, there are as yet no definite records of the species from Uruguayan waters, with published satellite-tracking data for the species off South America restricted to Brazilian waters and to international waters off Uruguay (Cuthbert *et al*. 2005). The presence of the closely-related Wandering Albatross *D. exulans* off Uruguay has been confirmed by birds banded at Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* being caught on pelagic longlines.  However, two unbanded great albatrosses similarly caught within Uruguayan waters are thought to have been female Tristan Albatrosses based on their measurements, following Cuthbert *et al.* (2003). The first definite record of a Tristan Albatross in Uruguayan waters appears to be of an adult bird photographed at sea by Martín Abreu at 36° 47'S, 53° 26'W on 5 November 2009 and bearing on its right leg a yellow alpha-numeric plastic band.  Although not very clear in the photograph the band appears to be inscribed with C51. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/tristan_albatross_c51_off_uruguay_martin_abreu.jpg "Colour-banded Tristan Albatross C51 off Uruguay. Photograph by Martin Abreu") The bird bearing this band was first banded (with metal band J-06393) as a chick on 2 October 1991 in Gonydale on Gough Island.  On 22 February 2007 it was recaptured as an incubating adult in Gonydale when the colour band was added. C51 bred unsuccessfully in 2007 and 2010, but was successful in 2008.  As a biennially-breeding species, a breeding attempt was not expected in 2009 after fledging a chick the previous year. **References:** CUTHBERT, R.[J.], HILTON, G.[M.], RYAN, P.[G.] & TUCK, G.N. 2005.  At-sea distribution of breeding Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* and potential interactions with pelagic longline fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean*.  Biological Conservation*121: 345-355. CUTHBERT, R.J., PHILLIPS, R.A. & RYAN, P.G. 2003.  Separating the Tristan Albatross and the Wandering Albatross using morphometric measurements.  *Waterbirds* 26: 338-344. With thanks to Marienne de Villiers and Kalinka Rexer-Huber for their help with the Gough Tristan Albatross data base. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer & Martín Abreu & Sebastián**Jiménez,**Proyecto Albatros y Petreles - Uruguay,**14 October 2010* *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. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/first-definite-record-of-the-tristan-albatross-for-uruguay.md) ## New Zealand fishing vessel receives the 2010 Seabird Safe Award for conducting seabird mitigation trials The Seabird Safe Award for 2010 has been awarded by the [Southern Seabirds Solutions Trust](http://www.southernseabirds.org/) to the New Zealand deep-sea trawler F.V. *Thomas Harrison.*  The vessel's Skipper Ted Goomes and Mate John Saxon accepted the award on behalf of all the fishing crew who have worked on the vessel over the past three years. Mitigation trials held aboard the vessel included holding and discharging offal in batches at different intervals, and pumping minced offal onto the sea surface.  Carrying out the trials involved fitting equipment onto the vessel during port calls, interrupting normal factory and processing procedures while fishing, and carrying cameras and New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries observers to record seabird responses to the different treatments ([click here](http://www.southernseabirds.org/n1751,182.html)). Two 2010 Seabird Safe Award finalists were also announced - John Cleal of F.V. Management Services Ltd, and Leigh Commercial Fishermen's Association. Past winners of the Seabird Safe Award were Charles Hufflett of Solander Fisheries, Nelson (in 2005) and Murray Williamson of South East Resources Ltd, Timaru (in 2007). The 2010 Seabird Safe Award was sponsored by Sealord, The Deep Water Group and the [New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries](http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/default.htm). [Click here](http://www.southernseabirds.org/f1751,87246/87246_Seabird_Safe_Award_Winner_media_release.pdf) for the media release on the 2010 awards. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/bullers_alblaross_chris_golding.jpg "Buller's Albatross: a New Zealand endemic. Photograph by Chris Golding") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/new-zealand-fishing-vessel-receives-the-2010-seabird-safe-award-for-conducting-seabird-mitigation-trials.md) ## White-chinned Petrels from Kerguelen travel to Africa and to Antarctica Clara Péron of the [Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/) in France, along with British, French and German colleagues, has studied the at-sea distribution of White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* that breed at the French Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.  Their findings have been published recently in the journal *[Marine Ecology Progress Series](http://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/)*. The paper's abstract follows: "Marine environments experience seasonal variation in physical and biological parameters, with consequent changes in predator distributions.  During the breeding period, proximity to suitable feeding sites is essential for central place foragers, whereas during the non-breeding period their distribution is relatively unconstrained.  We combined light-based geolocation and satellite tracking to investigate seasonal variation in foraging grounds and behaviour of White-chinned Petrels from Kerguelen Island.  Birds were associated with highly productive areas throughout the year.  During breeding (summer), they performed long commuting trips from the colony to distant, productive Antarctic waters.  Thereafter, birds migrated 5200 km westwards to the Benguela upwelling system off Namibia and South Africa to spend the winter.  This seasonal shift of foraging grounds coincides with a change in activity patterns; much less time was spent in flight in winter than in summer.  Individual variability in the locations of foraging zones and seasonal/daily activity patterns was low.  Trip durations were shorter during chick-rearing than incubation, although birds often travelled as far or farther, tracking the gradual break up of pack ice.  Habitat use models revealed an association with distance to sea-ice edge and chlorophyll *a*gradient during incubation, whereas sea surface temperature and chlorophyll *a*gradient best explained habitat use during chick rearing.  White-chinned petrels are likely to overlap with other marine predators and fisheries throughout the year.  Fishery bycatch constitutes the most significant direct threat to petrels at sea.  Moreover, future climate-induced reductions in productivity could affect birds year-round." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/White_chinned_Petrel_by_Ben Phalan.jpg "White-chinned Petrels. Photograph by Ben Phalan") **Reference:** Clara Péron, Karine Delord, Richard A. Phillips, Yohan Charbonnier, Cédric Marteau, Maité Louzao & Henri Weimerskirch 2010.  Seasonal variation in oceanographic habitat and behaviour of White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*from Kerguelen Island.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 416: 267-284.  [http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v416/p267-284/](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v416/p267-284/). *John Cooper. ACAP Information Officer, 16 October 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/white-chinned-petrels-from-kerguelen-travel-to-africa-and-to-antarctica.md) ## Tristan Albatrosses from Gough Island visit South African waters Hot on the heels of the news of a colour-banded Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* from Gough Island photographed in Uruguayan waters ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/first-definite-record-of-the-tristan-albatross-for-uruguay)), a report of two colour-banded birds off South Africa on the other side of the South Atlantic has now been published in the magazine *[Africa - Birds & Birding](http://www.africageographic.com/magazines/birds-and-birding/)*. The two Tristan Albatrosses (A95, a female and C70, a male) are part of the same demographic study in Gonydale on Gough as the Uruguayan bird.  They were photographed together (with at least 14 other Tristan Albatross-like birds) scavenging from behind a long-liner off the Atlantic coast of South Africa, close to the Namibian border on 6 August 2009 at 30 27S, 11 57E.  A95 had also been spotted a week earlier on 31 July 2009 at 30 31S, 13 17E within South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone.  The two birds were colour-banded as incubating adults in February 2007, when the planned long-term study was initiated. The longliner was deploying two bird-scaring streamer lines and setting only at night with added weights near the hooks, so thankfully caught none of the birds. At the time the birds were seen, C70 was rearing a chick on Gough Island, confirming that the [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30013&m=0) Tristan Albatross can forage far away from its breeding grounds when chick-rearing.  In fact, this record extends the at-sea distribution of breeding birds mapped by Cuthbert *et al*. (2005) using satellite-tracking data. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/tristan_albatross_a95_at_sea_meidad_goranjpg.jpg "Tristan Albatross A95 photographed off South Africa by Meidad Goren") ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/tristan_albatross_a95_2007_marienne_de_villiers.jpg "Tristan Albatross A95 incubating on Gough Island, 2007. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") Thanks to Marienne de Villiers and Meidad Goren for information and for the use of their photographs of A95 (similar pictures of C70 have been published by Goren & Ryan 2010).  Research on Tristan Albatrosses at Gough Island is conducted with the approval of the Tristan Conservation Department and with the logistic support of the [South African National Antarctic Programme](http://www.sanap.org.za/) of the Department of Environmental Affairs.  It is co-managed by the [Percy FitzPatrick Institute](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/), University of Cape Town, South Africa and the UK's [Royal Society for the Protection of Birds](http://www.rspb.org.uk/), and currently receives funds from the UK Goverment's [Overseas Territories Environment Programme](http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/index.htm) . **References:** CUTHBERT, R.[J.], HILTON, G.[M.], RYAN, P.[G.] & TUCK, G.N. 2005.  At-sea distribution of breeding Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* and potential interactions with pelagic longline fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean*.  Biological Conservation*121: 345-355.  ([click here](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-4CWSVRH-2&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=aa17e3055d2b769a34404d324bfe5d9b&searchtype=a)). GOREN, M. & RYAN, P.[G.] 2010.  Tristan Albatrosses off South Africa.  *Africa - Birds & Birding* 15(5): 14. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/tristan-albatrosses-from-gough-island-visit-south-african-waters.md) ## Regional ACAP implementation plans are being produced for island groups in the South Atlantic Three island groups (Tristan da Cunha, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)* and South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* in the South Atlantic region are breeding range states for 12 of the 29 species currently listed by ACAP, three of which are breeding endemics in the Tristan da Cunha islands. Two regional action plans for these island groups have now been published electronically, with a third to follow shortly. The ACAP Implementation Plan for the Falklands/Malvinas ([click here](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/pub10_ACAPPlanFalklandIslands.pdf) for the PDF) summarises the current status of ACAP-related work in the island group, and provides a prioritised programme of future work.  Each of the main sections of the plan includes a boxed summary of ACAP requirements, which have been drawn from the text of the Agreement and its Action Plan, an overview of current work related to these requirements and a list of recommended actions. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tristan-da-cunha-approves-an-acap-implementation-plan) for an earlier news story with a link to the Tristan da Cunha implementation plan. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_incubating_marion_by_genevive_jones.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Genevieve Jones") With thanks to Anton Wolfaardt for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 October 2010* *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.   * * [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/regional-acap-implementation-plans-are-being-produced-for-island-groups-in-the-south-atlantic.md) ## The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) delays signing a MoU with ACAP At the recent meeting of the Extended Commission of the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Commission (EC-CCSBT 17), the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna ([CCSBT](http://www.ccsbt.org)) considered the text of a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. ACAP was represented at the meeting, which was held in Taipei, Taiwan over 11-14 October 2010, by its Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth. The draft MoU followed the format of MoUs previously adopted between ACAP and several other Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), such as the [Indian Ocean Tuna Commission](http://www.iotc.org/) and the [Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission](http://www.wcpfc.int/) ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/instruments) to access the texts). ACAP had previously expressed an interest in negotiating a MoU with the CCSBT with a view to facilitating cooperation between the Secretariats to support efforts to minimise the incidental bycatch of albatrosses and petrels.  During November 2009 ACAP provided a template for a MoU to the CCSBT Secretariat, which was subsequently modified to incorporate intersessional comments the CCSBT Secretariat had requested from CCSBT Members. However, consensus on adopting the modified MoU was not reached at the Taipei meeting and the matter was held over for possible consideration after the next meeting of the Commission's Working Group on Ecologically Related Species ([ERSWG](http://www.ccsbt.org/docs/pdf/about_the_commission/terms_of_reference_for_subsidiary_bodies.pdf)), not scheduled to be held until 2012. The CCSBT's**Recommendation to Mitigate the Impact on Ecologically Related Species of Fishing for Southern Bluefin Tuna** may be found at [http://www.ccsbt.org/docs/pdf/about_the_commission/Recommendation_ERS.pdf](http://www.ccsbt.org/docs/pdf/about_the_commission/Recommendation_ERS.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_01_Fig1.jpg) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 October 2012* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-commission-for-the-conservation-of-southern-bluefin-tuna-delays-signing-a-mou-with-acap.md) ## Is the Tristan Thrush a predator of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and Spectacled Petrels? Natural and unnatural predators of ACAP-listed species range from sharks (notably of Laysan *Phoebastria immutabilis* and Black-footed *P. nigripes* Albatross fledglings in the North Pacific) to the introduced House Mouse *Mus musculus* of Tristan Albatross  *Diomedea dabbenena* chicks on Gough Island.  However, the most serious "predator" of albatrosses and petrels is arguably ourselves, indirectly through longline and trawl fisheries. What is unexpected is a recent report of a passerine bird as a predator of ACAP species.  The Tristan Thrush *Nesocichla eremita* is endemic to the Tristan da Cunha group of islands, as are the ACAP-listed Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* and the Spectacled Petrel *Procellaria conspicillata*. All three species occur on Inaccessible Island in the Tristan Group, where Peter Ryan and Rob Ronconi spent part of the austral summer of 2009/10.  In a paper recently published in the journal *Ardea* they report an observation of a Tristan Thrush successfully breaking open a deliberately exposed albatross egg and then consuming its contents. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/atlantic_yellow_nosed_albatross_tristan_thrush_egg-napping_peter_ryan.jpg "Tristan Thrushes squabble over an egg of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Photograph by Peter Ryan") They also conjecture that Tristan Thrushes were responsible for removing eggs of the Spectacled Petrel from burrows shortly after laying, based on the large number of broken eggs found outside burrows during early incubation.  The authors also report that the thrush is a regular predator of eggs and small chicks of the Great Shearwater *Puffinus gravis*. **Reference:** Ryan, P.G. & Ronconi, R.A. 2010.  The Tristan Thrush *Nesocichla eremita* as seabird predator.  *Ardea* 98: 247-250.  ([click here](http://nou.natuurinfo.nl/website/ardea/ardea_show_abstract.php?lang=uk&nr=4012) to view the abstract). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/spectacled_petrel_inaccessible_island_by_peter_ryan.jpg "Spectacled Petrel ashore on Inaccessible Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/is-the-tristan-thrush-a-predator-of-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatrosses-and-spectacled-petrels.md) ## Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to consider new bycatch mitigation research for pelagic longliners The [Indian Ocean Tuna Commission's ](http://www.iotc.org/English/index.php)Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch ([IOTC-WPEB](http://www.iotc.org/English/meetings/wp/wpbycurrent.php)) will hold its 6th Session in Victoria, The Seychelles from 27-30 October 2010 ([click here](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-01.pdf) for the meeting agenda). ACAP will be represented at the meeting by Barry Baker, Convenor of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group and by Karine Delord of the [Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/) in France, and will present a review of bycatch measures for pelagic longlining (IOTC-2010-WPEB-17).  The review suggests that the appropriate configurations of weights on branch lines is currently the most effective means of reducing seabird access to baits, although it still needs to be used in conjunction with other measures, such as bird-scaring lines and night setting. A paper to be presented by France (IOTC-2010-WPEB-14) demonstrates extensive overlap between IOTC longliners and immature albatrosses and petrels, suggesting that bycatch in the IOTC area is contributing to population declines. In addition, Australia will present three papers on mitigation research, co-authored by Graham Robertson of the [Australian Antarctic Division](http://www.aad.gov.au/). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Amsterdam_Albatross_by_Scott_Shaffer.jpg "Amsterdam Albatross: endemic to the southern Indian Ocean. Photograph by Scott Shaffer") **Papers to be presented:** ACAP.   Review of seabird bycatch mitigation measures for pelagic longline fishing operations.** **[IOTC-2010-WPEB-17](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-17.pdf).   Delord, K. & Weimerskirch, H.  New information on the distribution of southern seabirds and their overlap with the IOTC zone: seasonal changes in distribution and the importance of the non-breeders and juveniles in assessing overlap between seabirds and longliners.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-14. Robertson, G. & Ashworth, P.  Progress report on the development and testing of the underwater bait setter for pelagic longline fisheries.  [IOTC-2010-WPEB-08](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-08.pdf). Robertson, Candy, S.G. & Wienecke, B.  Effect of line shooter and mainline tension on the sink rates of pelagic longlines and implications for seabird interactions.  [IOTC-2010-WPEB-07](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-07.pdf). Robertson, G., Candy, S.G., Wienecke, B. & Lawton, K.  Experimental determinations of factors affecting the sink rates of baited hooks to minimise seabird mortality in pelagic longline fisheries.  [IOTC-2010-WPEB-06](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-06.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 October 2012* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/indian-ocean-tuna-commission-to-consider-new-bycatch-mitigation-research-for-pelagic-longliners.md) ## Taking blood from Black-browed Albatrosses does not appear to harm them Frédéric Angelier and colleagues of the [Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr) in France have studied whether blood sampling effects Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris* and come to the conclusion that no harm is done.  Their findings have been published this month on-line (and as an open-access manuscript) in the journal *[Polar Biology](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/300)*. This is an important finding for those who wish to use invasive procedures, such as the taking of blood, in long-term demographic study colonies of albatrosses, where a general principle should be to reduce human disturbance to a minimum (by for example using colour banding to obviate the need for repetitive handling to identify incubating and brooding birds).  However, it is clear that blood sampling still needs to be undertaken with care by trained and skilled operators. The paper's abstract follows: "During the last decades, eco-physiological studies have usually relied on the collection of blood from wild organisms in order to obtain relevant physiological measures.  However, accurate estimates of the impact of capture and blood collection on performances of polar seabird species have rarely been conducted.  We investigated for the first time the effects of a blood-sampling process on subsequent foraging behaviour, reproductive performance and return rate of Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche* *melanophris* at the Kerguelen Islands.  We did not find any evidence that the blood-sampling process as conducted in our study had detrimental effects on the breeding or foraging strategies or performance of Black-browed Albatrosses.  Because blood collection can be performed in several different ways, we recommend that eco-physiologists conduct pilot studies to test whether their blood-sampling process affects the performances of their study species." **Reference:** Angelier, F., Weimerskirch, H. & Chastel, O. 2010.  Capture and blood sampling do not affect foraging behaviour, breeding success and return rate of a large seabird: the Black-browed Albatross.  *Polar Biology*  [DOI 10.1007/s00300-010-0888-7](http://www.springerlink.com/content/q4455009v3214323/fulltext.pdf).  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_closeup_marion_by_genevieve_jones.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Genevieve Jones") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 October 2012* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/taking-blood-from-black-browed-albatrosses-does-not-appear-to-harm-them.md) ## The Scientific Committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommends a strengthening of its seabird bycatch mitigation measures The 2010 meeting of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics ([SCRS](http://www.iccat.int/en/SCRS2010.htm)) of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ([ICCAT](http://www.iccat.int/)) took place from 4-8 October in Madrid, Spain.  One of the aims of the meeting was to review and finalise the work of the various sub-committees and species groups that report to the SCRS. Seabird bycatch and the collection and reporting of bycatch data by observer programmes have received increased attention within ICCAT's Sub-Committee on Ecosystems (SC-ECO) over the last few years.  A formal assessment of the impacts of ICCAT fisheries on seabirds was presented at the 2009 inter-sessional meeting of the SC-ECO ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/2009-news-archive/atlantic-tuna-commission-meeting-recommends-stronger-measures-on-bird-bycatch)). After considering the results of the assessment and other seabird bycatch papers presented, the 2009 SC-ECO concluded that ICCAT fisheries have measurable impacts on some seabird populations, including several that are threatened with extinction, and that minimising seabird mortality in ICCAT fisheries could result in improved population status and reduced conservation concerns.  The SC-ECO therefore recommended that ICCAT's current binding measure (Recommendation 07-07) regarding seabird bycatch mitigation ([click here](http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Recs/ACT_COMP_2010_ENG.pdf) and scroll to page 98) be strengthened to require the use of a combination of mitigation measures that include bird-scaring (tori) lines and line weighting as a minimum.  This recommendation was endorsed by the SCRS and presented to the ICCAT Commission at its meeting in November 2009. Several proposals to strengthen Recommendation 07-07 were submitted by ICCAT Contracting Parties at the Commission meeting in 2009.  However, consensus on strengthening the current Recommendation was not then reached. The matter was discussed again at the 2010 inter-sessional meeting of the SC-ECO, where a number of seabird papers was presented, including three ACAP papers by the Vice-Convenor of ACAP's Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Anton Wolfaardt.  Updated results from a number of ongoing studies were reported, and highlighted again the importance of using a combination of effective mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch.  The increased importance of line weighting to ensure that baited hooks sink rapidly and remain within the protection of bird-scaring lines was emphasised.  On the basis of the presentations and discussions, the 2010 SC-ECO reaffirmed its recommendation from 2009 that Recommendation 07-07 on seabird bycatch mitigation should be strengthened. Current research into optimal line-weighting configurations will hopefully provide information which can be used to inform a formal proposal to strengthen Recommendation 07-07 in 2011. The 2010 SC-ECO ([click here](http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2010_SC-ECO_REP_ENG.pdf) for its report) also recommended that a minimum observer coverage level of 5-10% across all ICCAT fisheries be implemented, and that funds be made available to appoint a full time bycatch coordinator.  These recommendations were endorsed by the SCRS at its meeting in early October 2010, but still need to be adopted by ICCAT's Commission at its 17th Meeting, to be held in Paris, France next month ([click here](http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Announce/com2010/03_COMM_10_AGENDA_EN.pdf) for the agenda). The draft report of the meeting of the 2010 ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics may be found at [http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2010_SCRS_ENG.pdf](http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2010_SCRS_ENG.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_00_Fig1.jpg) With thanks to Anton Wolfaardt, Vice-Convenor, ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-scientific-committee-of-the-international-commission-for-the-conservation-of-atlantic-tunas-iccat-recommends-a-strengthening-of-its-seabird-bycatch-mitigation-measures.md) ## Saving the Waved Albatross: introducing weighted swivels in the artisanal longline fishery of Peru Jeffrey Mangel & Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto of [Pro Delphinus](http://www.prodelphinus.org/en/index.html ), a Peruvian NGO, have completed a study that was funded by the Albatross and Petrel Agreement in 2009.  In their final report submitted to the ACAP Secretariat this month they detail how they distributed 3750 weighted swivels (45 and 60 g) to 13 vessels in the fishing ports of Salaverry, Chimbote and Ilo.  Weighted swivels cause branch lines to sink faster, thus reducing the risks of hooking seabirds, such as the Waved Albatross *Phoebastria irrorata.*  Follow-up interviews with owners and crews of vessels receiving the swivels indicated that their experience was positive. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Fishing_Gear/swivels_jeffrey_mangel.jpg "Weighted swivels. Photograph by Jeffrey Mangel") The report's Executive Summary follows: "Peru's artisanal longline fishery is a dynamic fleet which is constantly changing where and how it fishes.  One aspect of that change is through gear mechanization.  This project visited three of Peru's leading longline ports to document this process.  We identified seven active mechanized vessels and an additional two under construction.  This report summarizes these findings and documents the mechanization process and what increased mechanization may mean in terms of seabird interactions.  We also report on a trial introduction of weighted swivels in the ports of Salaverry, Chimbote and Ilo.  Finally we provide an update of ongoing Waved Albatross abundance and distribution counts." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/waved_albatrosses_scavenging_jeffrey_mangel.jpg "Two Waved Albatrosses squabble over a scavenged food item. Photograph by Jeffrey Mangel") Founded in 1995, Pro Delphinus is a not-for-profit Peruvian organization based in Lima.  Pro Delphinus is committed to the conservation of threatened and endangered marine fauna. **Reference:** Jeffrey C. Mangel, J.C. & Alfaro-Shigueto, J. 2010.  *Responding to the evolution of Peru's artisanal longline fleet: characterizing fleet mechanization and introducing weighted swivels.  Final Report to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels*.  Lima: Pro Delphinus.  12 pp. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 October 2010*   [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/saving-the-waved-albatross-introducing-weighted-swivels-in-the-artisanal-longline-fishery-of-peru.md) ## Helping conserve albatrosses and petrels with Marine Important Bird Areas at the Convention on Biological Diversity BirdLife International launched a booklet entitled *Marine Important Bird Areas - Priority for the Conservation of Biodiversity* this last weekend on ‘Oceans Day' at the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the of the [Convention on Biological Diversity](http://www.cbd.int/) , taking place in Nagoya, Japan over 18-29 October ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/10/oceans-day-at-nagoya/)). The booklet, compiled by Ben Lascelles and colleagues, outlines how the Important Bird Area (IBA) concept may be extended to the marine environment. To quote from the booklet:  "Over 130 species of seabird are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List for birds.  10% of all Critically Endangered birds are seabirds, despite seabirds representing just 3% of the world's bird species.  28% of seabirds are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List (compared to 13% for all extant birds), with albatrosses, penguins, gadfly petrels and shearwaters among the most threatened families.  The southern oceans and the Pacific are particularly important areas for threatened seabirds, where their ranges span multiple Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) as well as many Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJs)." To view information about IBAs visit [www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites).  The marine IBA toolkit can be downloaded at [www.birdlife.org/eu/pdfs/Marine_IBA_Toolkit_2010.pdf](http://www.birdlife.org/eu/pdfs/Marine_IBA_Toolkit_2010.pdf). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_Warwick_Barnes.jpg "A Wandering Albatross flies the Southern Ocean. Photograph by Wrwick Barnes") Oceans Day at Nagoya aimed to draw high-level policy attention to the need to address the major drivers of ocean and coastal biodiversity loss, take stock of progress (or lack thereof) in the achievement of global biodiversity targets and outline the next steps in the global oceans agenda ([click here](http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2010/ntf-2010-195-marine-en.pdf)). **Reference:** BirdLife International 2010.  *Marine Important Bird Areas - Priority for the Conservation of Biodiversity.** *Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International..  ISBN 978-0-946888-74-0.  [http://www.birdlife.org/community/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/marineIBAs.pdf](http://www.birdlife.org/community/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/marineIBAs.pdf)*.* *John Cooper, AANP Information Officer, 25 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/helping-conserve-albatrosses-and-petrels-with-marine-important-bird-areas-at-the-convention-on-biological-diversity.md) ## Identifying Northern and Southern Giant Petrels with a DVD Northern *Macronectes halli* and Southern *M. giganteus* Giant Petrels are similar-looking sister species which can sometimes be difficult to tell apart ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species) to access their ACAP Species Assessment texts).  The different bill-tip colour (see images below) is the main diagnostic feature. [Scilly Pelagics](http://www.scillypelagics.com/index.html) has published a DVD video with an accompanying 40-page booklet that will help separate these two ACAP-listed species.  The production entitled *Fulmarine Petrels* has been produced by Bob Flood and Ashley Fisher, who are based in the Isles of Scilly in the United Kingdom. [Click here](http://www.scillypelagics.com/thefulmars.html) to learn more of this new product. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant_Petrel_by_Marienne_de_Villiers.jpg "Northern Giant Petrel at Marion Island. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_Gough_Island_by_John_Cooper.jpg "Southern Giant Petrel at Gough Island. Photograph by John Cooper") Also see: Carlos, C.J. & Voisin, J.-F. 2008.  Identifying giant petrels, *Macronectes giganteus* and *M. halli*, in the field and in the hand.  *Seabird* 21: 1-15. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/identifying-northern-and-southern-giant-petrels-with-a-dvd.md) ## Saving albatrosses and petrels off southern Africa: the role of BirdLife South Africa In 1997 [BirdLife International](http://www.birdlife.org/) inaugurated its Global Seabird Programme ([GSP](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/index.html)).  Over the years this has grown from a single employee to teams in several countries in the southern hemisphere.  An important part of the GSP for the conservation of ACAP-listed species is its Albatross Task Force ([ATF](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/)), which from its start in 2006 now has teams in seven countries in South America and Africa. In southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) BirdLife South Africa hosts local branches of both the GSP and the ATF through its [Seabird Division](http://www.birdlife.org.za/page/5594/seabird_division), which is managed by Dr Ross Wanless and has offices in Cape Town close to the fishing harbour in Table Bay.  Currently the Seabird Division has a staff of four, three of whom are fully occupied with activities related to the conservation of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/ross_wanless-christina_moseley-lisa_mansfield_blsa.jpg) BirdLife South Africa's Ross Wanless, Christina Moseley and Lisa Mansfield with ACAP posters in their Cape Town office. Photograph by John Cooper  The BLSA Seabird Division's ACAP-related activities include: Experimental sea trips to improve current or test new conservation measures; Holding workshops with the fishing industry to share knowledge and concerns; Training sea-going observers and compliance officers; Organizing the manufacture of bird-scaring lines by a disadvantaged community with disabilities; Working with three Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regional Fisheries Management Organizations ([ICCAT](http://www.iccat.int/en/), [SEAFO](http://www.seafo.org/)); and [IOTC](http://www.iotc.org/); and Co-ordinating work on marine Important Bird Areas (IBAs). These activities have contributed to notable improvements in mitigation measures and the consequent reduction of bird bycatch in South Africa.  Examples include: Imposition of seabird bycatch limits for tuna longline vessels leading to increased compliance and a marked drop in seabird mortality by 70-85%; and Adoption of bird-scaring lines in the demersal trawl fishery resulting in a 60% reduction in seabird mortality. Each year BirdLife South Africa's Seabird Division hosts a week-long "Save our Seabirds Festival" in Cape Town with free public lectures by experts on seabird conservation, excursions to view seabirds at sea and to visit breeding islands and a photographic competition ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org.za/page/5974/save_our_seabirds_festival_2010/)). With thanks to Ross Wanless for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/saving-albatrosses-and-petrels-off-southern-africa-the-role-of-birdlife-south-africa.md) ## ACAP funds a South American workshop to improve the collection of seabird mortality data A South American Workshop funded by the Albatross and Petrel Agreement as the first phase of Project ACAP 09-10 **Improving Data Collection on Incidental Mortality of Seabirds from South American Observer Programmes** was recently held in Buenos Aires, Argentina between 14 and 16 September 2010. The meeting took place at the San Martín Palace of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was attended by representatives of all six of the South American Parties to ACAP (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay). The workshop was formally opened by Dr Homero Bibiloni (Secretary of Environment, Argentina), Ambassador Silvia Merega (Director of Environmental Affairs) and Dr Ramiro Sánchez (Under- Secretariat of Fisheries), and was chaired by María Laura Tombesi (Secretariat of Environment, Argentina), Dr Oli Yates (BirdLife International) and Dr Marco Favero (ACAP). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/Misc/sam workshop _marco_favero.jpg "Attendees at the South American workshop. Photograph by Marco Favero") The objective of the workshop was to improve data collection on seabird mortality in fisheries by observer programmes in the South American region.  This was the first time heads and key stakeholders of observer programmes in southern South America have come together to discuss strategies in order to harmonize data collection protocols and databases.  The workshop constituted an excellent opportunity to revise ACAP databases on fisheries and impacts on albatrosses and petrels, as well as to agree on future actions to tackle the problem of incidental mortality in fisheries at a regional scale. *Marco Favero, Chair, ACAP Advisory Committee, 28 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acap-funds-a-south-american-workshop-to-improve-the-collection-of-seabird-mortality-data.md) ## Coming home to mummy: where do Wandering Albatrosses choose to breed? Gilles Gauthier of the Université Laval, Quebec, Canada and colleagues in Canada and France have studied colony fidelity and philopatry in Wandering Albatrosses at the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean utilizing banded birds in long-term study colonies.  Their findings have been published recently in the *[Journal of Animal Ecology](http://www.journalofanimalecology.org/view/0/index.html).* ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick. Photograph by John Cooper") The paper's summary follows: "1. Dispersal is a fundamental but still poorly known process in population dynamics and several hypotheses have been proposed to explain its patterns.  We studied natal and breeding dispersal and survival in a long-lived seabird, the Wandering Albatross (*Diomedea exulans*), and examined several hypotheses concerning dispersal patterns in birds. 2. We applied multi-state capture-recapture models to a 36-year data set (1969-2004) collected at three albatross colonies on Île de Possession, Crozet Islands.  Because the species has biennial reproduction, we introduced unobservable states in the model to account for the absence of individuals in those years. 3. Adults were highly faithful to their nesting colony but colony fidelity, as well as survival rate, differed slightly among colonies (fidelity ranged from 0.957 to 0.977).  Breeding fidelity was highest in the colony where survival was lowest and individuals were not more likely to change colony following a failed breeding attempt than after a successful one.  The colony that attracted most dispersers had the lowest density of nesting birds. 4. Philopatry (the probability that young return to breed at a birth site) was generally high but variable among colonies (ranging from 0.70 to 0.92), and survival of young differed little.  Philopatry was highest in the largest colony, where the availability of potential mates was presumably greatest.  However, among dispersing individuals, the colony that had the lowest density of nesting individuals, not the largest colony, attracted the most recruits. 5. Although size of the colony influenced the decision to stay or to leave in young, density was most influential in the selection of a new colony among both adult and young dispersers.  Our results support the hypothesis that philopatry is the strategy favoured by most recruits and that conspecific attraction can explain variation in the level of philopatry among colonies but not settlement patterns among dispersing individuals." **Reference:** Gauthier, G., Emmanuel Milot, E. & Weimerskirch, H. 2010.  Small-scale dispersal and survival in a long-lived seabird, the Wandering Albatross.  *Journal of Animal Ecology* 79: 879-887.  ([click here](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2010/2010_GJAE79.pdf)). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/coming-home-to-mummy-where-do-wandering-albatrosses-choose-to-breed.md) ## Feather isotopes can detect seasonal and individual differences on what and where albatrosses and petrels feed at sea Audrey Jaeger of the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé ([CEBC](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/)) in France and colleagues have recently published in the journal *[Marine Ecology Progress Series](http://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/)* a study of four ACAP-listed species breeding on the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean that uses stable isotope of body feathers to assess trophic niche widths. The paper's abstract follows: "Niche variation is a widespread phenomenon that has important implications for ecological interactions and conservation biology, but few studies have quantified the trophic niche width (TNW) and its within- and between-individual components.  We used stable isotopes of body feathers to investigate seasonal isotopic niche changes of 4 southern procellariiforms and the level to which individuals are specialised relative to their population within each season. δ13C and δ15N values of chicks and adults indicated a well-defined trophic segregation within the seabird assemblage during both the breeding and poorly known moulting (inter-nesting) periods, and they underlined marked species-specific seasonal changes.  One species (Light-mantled Sooty Albatross) remained within the Southern Ocean both during breeding and body feather moult, while the 3 others migrated either to oceanic subtropical waters (Wandering and Sooty Albatrosses) or high isotopic marine areas (e.g. productive neritic waters; White-chinned Petrel) during the moulting period. Isotopic variances and TNW were generally low, indicating that birds belong to isotopic specialist populations within a given period.  Variances and TNW were larger for White-chinned Petrel chicks and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross adults, respectively, indicating isotopic generalist populations and revealing 2 new foraging behaviours.  Individual White-chinned Petrel chicks segregated by their feather isotopic signatures, thus indicating individual/pair specialisation of parent birds during the chick-rearing period.  The Light-mantled Sooty Albatross population included mostly isotopic generalist individuals during the moulting period, with individuals using different habitats and diets. The study highlights the utility of feather isotopic signature for determining TNW and points out the necessity to develop such new approaches to better depict niche variations at both population and individual levels." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Light-mantled sooty albatross by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") To view a listing of the many CEBC published and in-press scientific publications on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels arranged annually since 1964 visit [http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publications/sous_presse.htm](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publications/sous_presse.htm).  Postgraduate theses since 1965 are also listed.  Quite a resource! **Reference:** Jaeger, A., Connan, M., Richard, P. & Cherel, Y. 2010.  Use of stable isotopes to quantify seasonal changes of trophic niche and levels of population and individual specialisation in seabirds.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 401: 269-277. (click here for the [PDF](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2010/2010_JMEPS401.pdf)). *John Cooper. ACAP Information Officer, 30 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/feather-isotopes-can-detect-seasonal-and-individual-differences-on-what-and-where-albatrosses-and-petrels-feed-at-sea.md) ## Do environmental conditions during breeding effect Black-browed Albatross recruitment? Marie Nevoux and colleagues based at the [Centre d'Etude Biologiques de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/) in France have recently published in the journal *[Oecologia](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/442)* on whether environmental conditions during breeding effect recruitment of Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris* at the Kerguelen Islands. The paper's abstract follows: "Short-term effects of environmental perturbations on various life history traits are reasonably well documented in birds and mammals.  But, in the present context of global climate change, there is a need to consider potential long-term effects of natal conditions to better understand and predict the consequences of these changes on population dynamics.  The environmental conditions affecting offspring during their early development may determine their lifetime reproductive performance, and therefore the number of recruits produced by a cohort.  In this study, we attempted to link recruitment to natal and recent (previous year) conditions in the long-lived Black-browed Albatross *Thalassarche melanophris* at Kerguelen Islands.  The environmental variability was described using both climatic variables over breeding (sea surface temperature anomaly) and non-breeding grounds (Southern Oscillation index), and variables related to the colony (breeding success and colony size).  Immature survival was linked to the breeding success of the colony in the year of birth, which was expected to reflect the average seasonal parental investment.  At the cohort level, this initial mortality event may act as a selective filter shaping the number, and presumably the quality (breeding frequency, breeding success probability), of the individuals that recruit into the breeding population.  The decision to start breeding was strongly structured by the age of the individuals and adjusted according to recent conditions. An effect of natal conditions was not detected on this parameter, supporting the selection hypothesis.  Recruitment, as a whole, was thus influenced by a combination of long- and short-term environmental impacts.  Our results highlight the complexity of the influence of environmental factors on such long-lived species, due to the time-lag (associated with a delayed maturity) between the impact of natal conditions on individuals and their repercussion on the breeding population." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_browed_Albatrosses_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses. Photograph by Graham Robertson") **Reference:** Nevoux, M., Weimerskirch, H. & Barbraud, C.  2010.  Long- and short-term influence of environment on recruitment in a species with highly delayed maturity.  *Oecologia* 162:383-392.  [http://www.springerlink.com/content/65745753l8315t3k/fulltext.pdf](http://www.springerlink.com/content/65745753l8315t3k/fulltext.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 October 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/do-environmental-conditions-during-breeding-effect-black-browed-albatross-recruitment.md) ## What’s in the future for the Laysan Albatrosses of the Hawaiian Islands? David Duffy, based at the [University of Hawai'i Manoa](http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/) in Honolulu, and writing in the journal *[Waterbirds](http://www.waterbirds.org/journal)*, has reviewed aspects of terrestrial management of seabirds in the Hawaiian Islands since the arrival of humans in 400 AD, under the broad categories of exploitation, management and restoration. His paper shows that the main breeding sites for Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* are on low-lying atolls at risk from projected sea-level rises, and that as a consequence, active management of the few small albatross colonies on the larger inhabited Hawaiian islands, especially against predators and human disturbance, becomes more of a priority.  [Click here](http://www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint/) for an example of such a colony: the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Kaua‘i. The paper's abstract follows: "Fossil evidence indicates that diverse and abundant seabird communities were once found in the main Hawaiian Islands.  However, these seabird populations have severely decreased, or even disappeared, as a result of human disturbance, habitat loss and predation from introduced mammals.  Today, the vast majority of Hawai'i's seabirds nest on low-lying and uninhabited atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, some of which will not be able to withstand projected sea-level rises.  As a result, populations of many seabird species will be further reduced unless suitable nesting habitat in the main Hawaiian Islands can be restored against predators. The history of seabird management in the Hawaiian Islands is examined, tracing three overlapping stages.  The first emphasized exploitation, the second recognized the damage done by humans and developed methods to remove the causes.  The third and current stage focuses on restoration, initially of seabirds, and most recently of ecosystems.  Restoration will require a scientific approach and documentation of successes and failures, improving the chances of success for future interventions." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_Kaena_Point_by_Lindsay_Young.jpg "Laysan Albatross breeding at Kaena Point, Oahu: a site in need of protection from predators. Photograph by Lindsay Young") **Reference:** Duffy, D.C. 2010.  Changing seabird management in Hawai'i: from exploitation through management to restoration.  *Waterbirds* 33: 193-207.  [http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1675/063.033.0208](http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1675/063.033.0208). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/whats-in-the-future-for-the-laysan-albatrosses-of-the-hawaiian-islands.md) ## "Public Viewing and Pelagic Trips": a new links category for albatrosses and petrels established Albatrosses are charismatic birds, well-known and popular with the general public.  Yet it is hard for ordinary members of the public to get to see them, whether at their breeding sites - often on uninhabited and isolated islands - or at sea. However, there are places in the World where such opportunities exist.  To aid in finding them, and finding out quite how to get to them, a new Links Category has been established on this web site, entitled "Public Viewing and Pelagic Trips" ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/links)). Currently, web sites of breeding colonies that are accessible to the public are given for the USA (Hawaiian Islands) and New Zealand.  Similar information for pelagic trips to view ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels (and other seabirds) at sea is listed for Australian, New Zealand and South African waters. Web-site managers of other public-viewing opportunities are welcome to send their details for consideration of listing to the ACAP Information Officer at [john.cooper@acap.aq](mailto:john.cooper@acap.aq).  Such listing of commercial web sites implies no endorsement by the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal_Albatross_500th_chick_by_Lyndon_Perriman.jpg "Northern Royal Albatross breeding at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand: a public-viewing site. Photograph by Lyndon Perriman") The ACAP web site now has a total of 186 links in 13 categories: give them a visit. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/qpublic-viewing-and-pelagic-tripsq-a-new-links-category-established.md) ## Identifying a great albatross photographed at sea off South Africa: Tristan or Antipodean? A great albatross of the genus *Diomedea* was seen during a [Zest for Birds](http://www.zestforbirds.co.za/) pelagic trip on the m.v. *Zest II* on 18 September 2010, at a position around 34° 47.5'S, 18° 18.5'E, some 28 nm SSW of Cape Point, Western Cape, South Africa.  The bird was in a large group of birds foraging in the wake of the trawler *Flame Thorn*, and was seen three times over a period of around 45 minutes when it was photographed both flying and resting on the sea surface. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/php54gkb4am.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/phpnzhfttam.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/phpjylfswam.jpg) The great albatross off Cape Point.  Photographs by John Graham The bird best fits Plumage D as illustrated (Plate 2) by Onley & Scofield (2007), which they assign to both Tristan and Antipodean *D. antipodensis* Albatrosses (but not to Wandering Albatrosses *D. exulans*).  A comparison with a large suite of sexed Tristan Albatrosses photographed while incubating on Gough Island over 2007-2009 shows strong similarities in plumage to many of the females, but not to the males which tend to lack such a marked cap. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/tristan_albatross_female_gough_john_cooper.jpg "Female Tristan Albatross incubating on Gough Island, 2007. Photograph by John Cooper") According to Lindsay Smith ([Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association](http://www.sossa-international.org), Australia) an Antipodean Albatross would show some dark spots on the nail of the bill (maxillary unguis) and at least some small dark marks on the tomia (cutting edges of the bill).  The mandibular unguis would also show some darker marks.  These features are all absent on the Cape Point bird, leading him to believe it is a Tristan Albatross.  However, Onley & Scofield (2007; pp. 125-126) state that only a "small number" of especially immature and female Antipodean Albatrosses have a dusky tip to the lower mandible and dark cutting edges to the upper mandible. Although Tristan Albatrosses are smaller than Wandering Albatrosses (which also occur in South African waters), they are similar-sized to Antipodean Albatrosses (Cuthbert *et al.* 2003).  In any event, judging relative size from a photograph of a single bird is highly problematic. Tristan Albatrosses are known to reach South African waters from both recoveries of metal-banded birds and sightings of colour-banded birds (Cooper 1988, Goren & Ryan 2010) and satellite-tracked birds have approached the African Continent (to 15°E) while breeding (Cuthbert *et al*. 2005). In contrast, there are no records of Antipodean Albatrosses reaching South African waters, their known at-sea distribution being restricted to Pacific waters.  On the balance of probabilities, therefore, the bird photographed off South Africa is likely to be a Tristan Albatross, probably an adult female, although this cannot be stated with full certainty. We thank Lindsay Smith and Erica Sommer for their valued comments. **References:** Cooper, J. 1988.  Bird ringing at Gough Island, 1982-1987; with an analysis of movements of Wandering Albatrosses.  *South African Journal of Antarctic Research* 18: 21-22. Cuthbert, R.[J.], Hilton, G., Ryan, P.[G.] & Tuck, G.N. 2005.  At-sea distribution of breeding Tristan Albatrosses *Diomedea dabbenena* and potential interactions with pelagic longline fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean.  *Biological Conservation* 121: 345-355. Cuthbert, R.J., Phillips, R.A. & Ryan, P.G. 2003.  Separating the Tristan Albatross and the Wandering Albatross using morphometric measurements.  *Waterbirds* 26: 338-344. Goren, M. & Ryan, P.[G.] 2010.  Tristan Albatrosses off South Africa.  *Africa - Birds & Birding* 15(5): 14. Onley, D. & Scofield, P. 2007.  *Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World*.  London: Christopher Helm. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer and John Graham, Zest for Birds, 3 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/identifying-a-great-albatross-photographed-at-sea-off-south-africa-tristan-or-antipodean.md) ## Working to reduce mortality of Black-browed and Southern Royal Albatrosses by Patagonian trawlers Marco Favero (Chair of the ACAP Advisory Committee) and Argentinean colleagues have published on-line in the journal *[Animal Conservation](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-1795)* a study of seabird mortality associated with demersal trawlers operating off Patagonia. The paper's abstract follows: "This study investigated the level of seabird mortality caused by the domestic trawl fleet (freshies) for hake (among other less important targets) operating in waters off central Patagonia (37-48°S), analyzing the effect of environmental and operational variability on the level of seabird interactions.  With a total of 135 vessels, the fleet is one of the largest in Argentina.  Specifically tasked seabird observers were placed onboard trawlers during the summer and winter seasons of the years 2006 and 2007.  The type and number of seabird interactions (i.e. contacts with fishing gear) were recorded during shooting and hauling operations, covering 72 days of observation and 328 trawls.  Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*, White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*, Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* and Southern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea epomophora* were the most abundant species interacting with trawlers.  Confirmed mortalities of Black-browed and Southern Royal Albatrosses were the result of collisions and entanglement with the warp cable while birds were scavenging.  The estimated total mortality rate was 0.017 birds h-1 and 0.105 birds per vessel per day.  The intensity of interactions (in terms of the number of contacts per unit time) was largely explained by the distribution of the fishing effort.  Seasonality and the incidence of discards were the strongest factors explaining the occurrence of seabird interactions.  The total annual mortality in the trawl fleet under investigation was roughly estimated to be from several hundred to over a thousand albatrosses.  However, these figures should be considered preliminary due to the limited spatial and temporal coverage of data and the fact that estimations were based on a low number of observed mortalities.  The implementation of a strategic discard management may significantly reduce the number of seabird mortalities from collisions with warp cables or improve the effectiveness of other complementary mitigation methods.  Urgent implementation of mitigation measures is needed in this fleet to reduce the mortality of albatrosses and petrels along the Patagonian shelf." ![A Patagonian hake trawler with attendant seabirds. Photograph by Juan Pablo Seco Pon](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Fishing_Gear/patagonian_trawler_ juan_pablo_seco_ pon.jpg) A Patagonian hake trawler with attendant seabirds.  Photograph by Juan Pablo Seco Pon **Reference:** Favero, M., Blanco, G., García, G., Copello, S., Seco Pon, J.P., Frere, E., Quintana, F., Yorio, P., Rabuffetti, F., Cañete, G. & Gandini, P. 2010.  Seabird mortality associated with ice trawlers in the Patagonian Shelf: effect of discards on the occurrence of interactions with fishing gear.  *Animal Conservation*  doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00405.x. [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00405.x/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00405.x/abstract). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer,4 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/working-to-reduce-mortality-of-black-browed-and-southern-royal-albatrosses-by-patagonian-trawlers.md) ## Research on Southern Giant Petrels in Argentina: an ongoing programme Flavio Quintana of Centro Nacional Patagónico-CONICET and the Wildlife Conservation Society and Sofía Copello of the Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET have together been conducting research on the breeding biology and foraging ecology of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus* in Argentina for a number of years. The Southern Giant Petrel is Argentina's only breeding ACAP-listed species, with an estimated population of 2600-2800 pairs in four colonies (approximately 6% of the global population). Their studies have concentrated on the birds of Isla Arce and Isla Gran Robredo within the Parque Interjurisdiccional Marino Costero Patagonia Austral in northern Patagonia, where approximately 90% (2300 pairs) of Argentina's giant petrels breed.  Studies commenced in 1999 and are continuing under the leadership of Flavio Quintana ([click here](http://www.cenpat.edu.ar/pop_up02_investigadores012.html)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/southern_giant_petrel_satellite_transmitter_sofia_copello.jpg "Sofia Copello and Flavio Quintana place a satellite transmitter on a Southern Giant Petrel") Information is now available on morphology, population status and trends, diet, health, at-sea distribution and dispersal and conservation, as well as much basic breeding data, as witnessed by the project's suite of publications to date (see below). Current research is focusing on the year-round distribution of adult and juvenile Southern Giant Petrels on the Patagonian Shelf utilizing satellite telemetry in relation to oceanography and in assessing interactions with fisheries. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/southern_giant_petrel_colony_isla_arce.jpg "The Southern Giant Petrel colony on Isla Arce, Argentina") **Chronological list of publications** Quintana, F. & Dell' Arciprete, P. 2002.  The foraging grounds of Southern Giant Petrels (*Macronectes giganteus*) on the Patagonian shelf.  *Polar Biology* 25: 159-161. Copello, S. & Quintana, F. 2003.  Marine debris ingestion by Southern Giant Petrels and its potential relationships with fisheries in the southern Atlantic Ocean.  *Marine Pollution Bulletin* 46: 1513-1515. Uhart, M.M., Quintana, F., Karesh, W.B. & Braselton, W.E. 2003.  Hematology, plasma biochemistry, and serosurvey for selected infectious agents in Southern Giant Petrels from Patagonia, Argentina.  *Journal of Wildlife Diseases* 39: 359-365. Phillips, R., Arata, J., Cuthbert, R., Huin, N., Quintana, F., & Robertson, G. 2004.  Regional summaries. South-west Atlantic and southern South America.  Breeding.  In: Birdlife International.  *Tracking Ocean Wanderers: the Global Distribution of Albatrosses and Petrels.  Results from the Global Procellariiform Tracking Workshop, 1 -5 September, 2003, Gordon's Bay, South Africa*.  BirdLife International: Cambridge.  pp. 36-38. Quintana, F., Schiavini, A. & Copello, S. 2005.  Estado poblacional, ecología y conservación del Petrel Gigante del Sur en Argentina.  *El Hornero* 20: 25-34. Copello, S., Quintana, F. & Somoza, G. 2006.  Sex determination and sexual size dimorphism in Southern Giant Petrels (*Macronectes giganteus*) from Patagonia, Argentina.  *Emu* 106: 141-146. Quintana, F., Punta, G., Copello, S. & Yorio, P. 2006.  Population status and trends of southern giant petrels (*Macronectes giganteus*) breeding in Chubut, Argentina.  *Polar Biology* 30: 53-59. Copello, S. 2007.  *Ecology and conservation of the Southern Giant Petrel (*Macronectes giganteus*) in Patagonia, Argentina*.  PhD thesis, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche.  170 pp. Quintana, F. 2007.  *Ecología y conservación de albatros y petreles. In: Aportes para la conservación de aves marinas* (Editado por la Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollop Sustentable de la Nación).  36 pp. Copello, S., Quintana, F. & Perez, F. 2008.  The diet of the Southern Giant Petrel in Patagonia: fishery-related items and natural prey.  *Endangered Species Research* 6: 15-23. Arata, J., Croxall, J., Huin, N., Nicholls, D., Phillips, R., Quintana, F., Robertson, C.J. R., Robertson, G., Trathan, P. & Falabella, V. 2009.  Parte 2.  Albatros.  In: Falabella, V., Campagna, C. & Croxall, J. (Eds).  *Atlas del Mar Patagónico: Especies y Espacios*.  Proyecto Modelo del Mar, Argentina, Wildlife Conservation Society, Argentina, CONICET, Argentina. & BirdLife International.  pp. 45 -97. Copello, S., Rabuffetti, F. & Quintana, F. 2009.  Post-fledging dispersal of Southern Giant Petrels from north Patagonian colonies.  *Ardeola* 56: 103-112. Copello**,** S**.** **&** Quintana**,** F. 2009. Spatio**-**temporal relationship between**S**outhern **G**iant **P**etrels and fisheries at the Patagonian Shelf. ** ***Polar Biology* 32: 1211-1220. Copello, S. & Quintana, F. 2009.  Breeding biology of the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* in Patagonia, Argentina.  *Ornitología Neotropical* 20: 369-380. Quintana, F., Croxall, J., González-Solís, J., Phillips, R., Trathan, P & Falabella, V. 2009.  Parte 3.  Petreles.  In: Falabella, V., Campagna, C. & Croxall, J. (Eds).  *Atlas del Mar Patagónico: Especies y Espacios*.  Proyecto Modelo del Mar, Argentina, Wildlife Conservation Society, Argentina, CONICET, Argentina & BirdLife International.  pp. 43 - 75. Favero, M., Blanco, G., García, G., Copello, S., Seco Pon, J.P., Frere, E., Quintana, F., Yorio, P., Rabuffetti, F., Cañete, G. & Gandini, P. 2010.  Seabird mortality associated with ice trawlers in the Patagonian Shelf: effect of discards on the occurrence of interactions with fishing gear.  *Animal Conservation*  doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00405.x. Quintana, F., Dell' Arciprete, P. & Copello, S. 2010.  Foraging behaviour and habitat use by the Southern Giant Petrel on the Patagonian Shelf.  *Marine Biology* 157: 515-525. Techow, N.M.S.M., O´Ryan, C.O., Phillips, R.A., Gales, R., Marin, M., Patterson-Fraser, D., Quintana, F., Ritz, M.S., Thompson, D.R., Wanless, R.M., Weimerskirch, H. & Ryan, P.G. 2010.  Speciation and phylogeography of giant petrels *Macronectes*.  *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution* 54: 472-487. **The following papers are in preparation** Copello, S., Dogliotti, A.I., Gagliardini, D.A. & Quintana, F.  Oceanographic and biological landscapes used by the Southern Giant Petrel during the breeding season at the Patagonian Shelf. Copello, S., Favero, M., Quintana, F., Wilcox, C. & Tuck, G.  A forecasting approach for analyzing seabird-fishery interactions: an application to the Southern Giant Petrel at the Patagonian Shelf. For information on the natural history and conservation of the study region in Patagonia [click here](http://www.wcs.org/saving-wild-places/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/patagonia-coastal-and-southwestern-atlantic-seascape.aspx). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species ) to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Southern Giant Petrel. With thanks to Sofía Copello and Flavio Quintana for information and photographs. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/research-on-southern-giant-petrels-in-argentina-an-ongoing-programme.md) ## The Yelkouan Shearwater of the Mediterranean gets relief from feral cats on France's Port-Cros Island The Yelkouan or Mediterranean Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan*, endemic to islands in the Mediterranean Sea, has been identified by ACAP as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)).  A recent paper, published on-line in the journal *[Animal Conservation](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-1795)* by Elsa Bonnaud and colleagues at the Mediterranean Institute for Ecology and Paleoecology, Paul Cézanne University shows how this [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3937) shearwater has benefited from the control of feral domestic cats *Felis catus* on the French island of [Port Cros](http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/var/portcros/portcros.htm), a national park in the Hyeres Island Group. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/yelkouan_shearwater_jrme legrand.jpg "Yelkouan Shearwater off Port Cros Island. Photograph by Jérôme Legrand") The paper's abstract follows "Introduced predators on islands are responsible for numerous native species extirpations and extinctions.  Predation by cats is particularly detrimental to seabirds and cat control or eradication is generally the best option to reduce their negative impacts on native fauna.  However, potential cascading effects, such as mesopredator release effect, need to be monitored after cat removal.  In Port-Cros Island, a cat control campaign was undertaken to eliminate the strong and recurrent threat from feral cat predation to the small Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* population, without harming a neutered domestic cat population.  To evaluate the conservation value of this campaign for an island endemic and endangered species, the diet and impact of the remaining domestic cats were studied through scat analysis and trap success.  Moreover, to evaluate the recovery of the seabird population and detect any potential mesopredator release effect, shearwater and rat populations were monitored before, alongside and after the cat control.  Only live traps were used, and most cats were trapped in the first year of cat eradication.  The last incidence of cat predation on the Yelkouan Shearwater occurred the following year.  The recovery of the shearwater population, occurring the first year of cat control, was mainly attributable to the settlement of new breeders in the colony.  Rat population dynamics fluctuated widely but, even though the interactions between rats and shearwaters at breeding cavities increased, no evidence of rat predation on shearwaters was recorded.  Thus, cat control on Port-Cros Island was a success for native species conservation, proving that such management strategy can induce an increase in the population of the endemic species, here the Yelkouan Shearwater, without any evidence of a mesopredator release effect." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/feral_cat_port_cros_jrme_legrand.jpg "Trapped feral cat on Port Cros Island. Photograph by Jérôme Legrand") Visit [http://www.puffin-hyeres.org/english.htm](http://www.puffin-hyeres.org/english.htm) to learn more of French efforts to save this species (and Cory's Shearwater *Calonectris diomedea)* in the Hyeres Islands. Information on conservation efforts for the Yelkouan Shearwater in Malta may be found at [http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/en/). With thanks to Elsa Bonnaud for supplying the photographs. **Reference:** Bonnaud, E., Zarzoso-Lacoste, D., Bourgeois, K., Ruffino,L., Legrand, J. & Vidal, E. 2010.  Top-predator control on islands boosts endemic prey but not mesopredator.  *Animal Conservation*.  DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00376.x.  [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00376.x/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00376.x/abstract). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-yelkouan-shearwater-of-the-mediterranean-gets-relief-from-feral-cats-on-frances-port-cros-island.md) ## Brood-guarding declines seasonally in Black-browed Albatrosses: the ‘synchronisation hypothesis' Paulo Catry of the Institute of Applied Psychology - Eco-ethology Research Unit in Lisbon, Portugal and colleagues in a study published in the *[Journal of Avian Biology](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1600-048X)* have looked at changes in brood-guard duration in Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*over a four-year period. **![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds")** The paper's abstract follows: "In birds, the period spent brooding or guarding young chicks is highly variable, but such variation has seldom been studied.  Previous single-year studies of Antarctic Petrels *Thalassoica antarctica* and Grey-headed Albatrosses *Thalassarche chrysostoma* revealed a pronounced seasonal decline in brood-guarding duration and gave rise to the ‘synchronisation hypothesis', which suggests that some of the variation in the length of the brood-guarding stage is related to predictable seasonal changes in the risk of chick predation.  We tested the predictions of this and three other hypotheses in a two-site, four-year study of the Black-browed Albatross *T. melanophris*.  The existence of a pronounced seasonal decline in brood-guarding duration was apparent at both sites, and in years of contrasting food availability, providing further support for the ‘synchronisation hypothesis'.  Alternative explanations for this pattern are that short brood-guarding periods for late-hatched chicks result from a seasonal decline in food availability or from the fact that early nesting birds are of higher individual quality.  However, these explanations are at odds with the absence of a seasonal decline in early chick growth or in probability of chick survival.  Furthermore, adult quality (measured as past reproductive performance) had a weak and inconsistent effect on the duration of brood-guarding.  Weather changes explained some of the variation in brood-guarding, but there were no differences between regions of contrasting climates.  Individual pairs displayed a degree of inter-annual consistency in brood-guarding duration and, at least in some years, longer brood-guarding resulted in higher fledging probability.  We speculate that a higher investment in brood-guarding increases the cost of reproduction, which counteracts other selective pressures that would otherwise lead to longer brood-guarding durations." **Reference:** Catry, P., Phillips, R.A., Forster, I.P., Matias, R., Lecoq, M., Granadeiro, J.P. & Strange, I.J.  2010.  Brood-guarding duration in black-browed albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*: temporal, geographical and individual variation.  *Journal of Avian Biology* 41: 460-469. [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05029.x/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05029.x/abstract) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/brood-guarding-declines-seasonally-in-black-browed-albatrosses-the-synchronisation-hypothesis.md) ## Sooty Shearwaters breeding in Chile are at risk from rats Several shearwaters of the genera *Calonectris* and *Puffinus* have been identified by ACAP as potential candidates for listing within the Agreement, partially because they face similar threats as do ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels - such as fisheries-induced mortality and attacks by alien predators at their breeding sites ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)).  One shearwater so identified is the [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3933) Sooty Shearwater *P. griseus*. Felipe Moreno-Gómez and colleagues based at the Universidad Austral de Chile, in Valdivia, Chile writing in the bulletin *[Aliens](http://www.issg.org/publications.htm#aliens)* of the IUCN/SSC [Invasive Species Specialist Group](http://www.issg.org/index.html) show that Sooty Shearwaters that breed in large numbers on Chile's Isla Guafo are at risk to Black or Ship Rats *Rattus rattus*.  They recommend further research, formal protection of the island and the eradication of the rats. The paper's abstract follows: "Seabirds nesting in island ecosystems are highly vulnerable to introduced predators.  Sooty Shearwater (*Puffinus griseus*) form large breeding colonies in southern islands of Chile, South America.  However, there are not studies determining the threat degree to this seabird associated to this kind of predators.  This article reports the presence of introduced rats in the largest colony of Sooty Shearwater in the world (Isla Guafo, Chile), discussing the potential impact generated by rats over seabirds." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/sooty_shearwater_john_graham.jpg "Sooty Shearwater. Photograph by John Graham") **Reference:** Moreno-Gómez, F.N., Reyes-Arriagada, R. & Schlatter, R.P. 2010.  Introduced rats on Guafo Island (Chile) and their potential impact on Sooty Shearwater *Puffinus griseus. **Aliens: The Invasive Species Bulletin.  **Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group* 29: 34-39.  [http://www.issg.org/pdf/aliens_newsletters/A29.pdf](http://www.issg.org/pdf/aliens_newsletters/A29.pdf). For information on the management of Sooty Shearwaters on New Zealand's "mutton-bird" islands visit the Kia Mau te Tītī Mo Ake Tōnu Atu (Keep the Titi Forever) research project which produces the newsletter *Tītī Times* (latest issue No. 22 of August 2010) at [http://www.otago.ac.nz/titi/](http://www.otago.ac.nz/titi/). [Click here](http://www.pinkfootedshearwater.org/) to read about efforts to conserve the [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3931) Pink-footed Shearwater *P. creatopus*, endemic to Chile.  See also [http://www.oikonos.org/projects/fardela.htm](http://www.oikonos.org/projects/fardela.htm).  The Pink-footed Shearwater has also been identified as a potential ACAP species. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 8 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/sooty-shearwaters-breeding-in-chile-are-at-risk-from-rats.md) ## Where do the hooks come from? Trying to match fishing gear found with albatrosses and petrels to individual fisheries Cindy Ridley of the United Kingdom's Anglia Ruskin University and colleagues have published in the journal *[Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0755)* a study of whether it is feasible to identify the provenance of fishing gear found associated with albatrosses and petrels in the South Atlantic. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/hooked_wandering_albatross_british_antarctic_survey.jpg "Hooked Wandering Albatross. Photograph by British Antarctic Survey") This study shows that cladistic and multivariate techniques have the potential to categorize lost fishing gear and so could constitute an effective deterrent against continued bad practice. The paper's abstract follows: "1.  The global decline of albatrosses (Diomedeidae: Procellariiformes) is thought to have occurred largely as a direct result of fishery-related mortality.  Albatrosses and other large petrels interact with fisheries in several ways, including scavenging used bait and discarded offal, which may contain hooks. 2.  Hooks that are ingested by breeding birds are often fed to chicks which subsequently regurgitate them shortly before fledging. 3.  In this study a series of mathematical (cladistic, cluster and principal components) analyses are applied to a sample of 241 items of fishing gear (hook, snood and hook/snood unit) collected from seabird nest sites on Bird Island, South Georgia, and 44 reference gear items provided by four South Atlantic regional fisheries. 4.  The five separate analyses failed to assign most gear to a particular fishery or to identify any consistent annual trends.  The homogeneous nature of the material, which was largely derived from the same manufacturers, meant that gear origin could not be determined.  This suggests that hooks found at seabird colonies in this, and potentially other regions, will be of limited use in identifying offending fisheries, unless operators are obliged to deploy gear with unique marks in the future. 5.  Nevertheless, it is suggested that this approach should work effectively where birds interact with a range of fisheries targeting different species using variable gear.  This study therefore represents an innovative approach to the characterization of lost fishing gear with potentially widespread application." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/hooks_british_antarctic_survey.jpg "Longline hooks recovered from albatrosses. Photograph by British Antarctic Survey") **Reference:** Ridley, C., Harrison, N.M., Phillips, R.A. & Pugh, P.J.A. 2010.  Identifying the origins of fishing gear ingested by seabirds: a novel multivariate approach.  *Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems* 20: 621-631.  [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.1136/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.1136/abstract). With thanks to Richard Phillips, British Antarctic Survey. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 9 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/where-do-the-hooks-come-from-trying-to-match-fishing-gear-found-with-albatrosses-and-petrels-to-individual-fisheries.md) ## Catching fish, not birds: the Marine Stewardship Council certifies another fishery in the Southern Ocean A Southern Ocean trawl fishery was last month certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery under the Marine Stewardship Council ([MSC](http://www.msc.org/)) standard ([click here](http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/falklands-fish-with-a-heart-of-cold-wins-msc-certificate?fromsearch=1&isnewssearch=1)). The fishery is for Mackerel Icefish *Champsocephalus gunnari*in the South Atlantic sector (CCAMLR Subarea 48.3) using pelagic, not demersal, trawls.  According to the MSC "the fishery scored particularly highly on its maintenance of the ecosystem with nets designed to avoid contact with the ocean floor and extensive measures in place to limit bycatch of seabirds." A similar fishery for icefish, using both pelagic and demersal trawls around Australia's Heard and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean, was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2006 and is now being reassessed ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/southern-ocean/australia-mackerel-icefish)). No less than three separate toothfish *Dissostichus* spp. fisheries in the Southern Ocean, variously utilizing demersal longlines and demersal trawls, are currently under assessment by the MSC ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/in-assessment/southern-ocean)).  A longline fishery for Patagonian Toothfish *D. eleginoides* in the South Atlantic sector has been previously certified ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/south-atlantic-indian-ocean/south-georgia-patagonian-toothfish-longline)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_02_Fig1.jpg) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/catching-fish-not-birds-the-marine-stewardship-council-certifies-another-fishery-in-the-southern-ocean.md) ## The Short-tailed Albatross lays eggs on Kure Atoll, Hawaii The rarest of the North Pacific albatross species, the Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus*, has only been documented breeding on islands off Japan, despite increasing sightings of individuals among other albatross colonies in the Hawaiian Islands in recent years. A single female laid and then abandoned infertile eggs on Midway Atoll from 1989-2001, but there was no indication of a male ever attending the nest ([click here](http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/pdfs/02-Galliformes-Procellariiformes/STAL.pdf)). On 31 October 2010 a Short-tailed Albatross nest was discovered on Kure Atoll, 90 km north-west of Midway, with a final phase plumage bird incubating a single egg.  The bird is a 17-year old (number 13A 0703) banded as a chick on Torishima by Hiroshi Hasegawa in 1993.  On 2 November the same individual was found to be incubating two freshly-laid eggs, which it was still incubating on 8 November.  On the day that the first egg was recorded only 60 Black-footed Albatrosses *P. nigripes*, a tiny fraction of the island's population, had returned to begin courtship, and none had yet laid eggs, so it seems certain that the Short-tail was incubating its own egg.  The earliest laying date for Black-footed Albatrosses is typically 7 November, which supports the idea that both eggs belong to the Short-tailed Albatross. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/short_tailed_albatross_kure_cynthia_ vanderlip.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross with two eggs on Kure Atoll. Photograph by Cynthia Vanderlip") Since albatrosses only ever lay one egg a season, the presence of two eggs strongly suggests a pair of females, which likely have each laid infertile eggs that will not hatch.  However, a second female is yet to be spotted.  Female-female pairs are relatively common amongst Laysan Albatrosses *P. immutabilis*, particularly in new colonies, and the phenomenon also been documented in Black-footed Albatrosses. Kure Atoll has two previous reports of Short-tailed Albatrosses ashore - one in 2008 and one in 1994.  Both observations were within 300 m of the 2010 nest and were of immature-plumaged individuals. It is possible that the assumed pair on Kure Atoll has been nesting there for a number of years, but has gone unnoticed.  This is the first winter field camp at Kure Atoll, so in previous years any nests that were initiated, and then abandoned, would likely have been missed by the time the previous camps were set up in May. Sightings on Midway begun as early as 1938 and from 1965-2009 at least 16 different individuals have been recorded ashore.  In recent years, up to four individuals have been seen on the atoll at any given time.  Sporadic sightings of Short-tailed Albatrosses have also been made at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Laysan Island, French Frigate Shoals and Kauai. The discovery of the Kure breeding attempt is good news for the species as expanding its range to include other breeding sites will potentially protect against potential losses at its primary breeding site at Torishima.  We will keep our collective fingers crossed that there is a male Short-tailed Albatross involved in this nesting attempt. For information on records of Short-tailed Albatrosses within the Hawaiian Islands visit: Pyle, R.L. & Pyle, P. 2009.  *The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status*.  Honolulu: B.P. Bishop Museum.  Version 1 (31 December 2009).  [http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/](http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/).  For information on Kure Atoll visit [http://www.kureatollconservancy.org/](http://www.kureatollconservancy.org/). With thanks to Cynthia Vanderlip, Field Camp Manager, Kure Atoll Seabird Sanctuary, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources for information by satellite ‘phone from Kure Atoll. *Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent, 11 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-short-tailed-albatross-lays-eggs-on-kure-atoll-hawaii.md) ## Good news for Japan's Black-footed, Laysan and Short-tailed Albatrosses? Ridding Mukojima in the Ogasawara Islands of its rats Mukojima Island in the Japanese Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands supports breeding colonies of genetically distinct Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and of Laysan *P. immutabilis* Albatrosses.  It is also the site of ongoing attempts to establish a new colony (on a non-actively volcanic island) of Short-tailed Albatrosses *P. albatrus* by translocating chicks from Torishima ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/translocated-short-tailed-and-black-footed-albatrosses-continue-to-do-well-on-japans-mukojima-island) for an earlier ACAP news item). During January to March this year Dr Takuma Hashimoto of the [Japan Wildlife Research Center](http://www.jwrc.or.jp/profile/pdf/jwrcprofile5_en.pdf), Tokyo led a team that dropped the rodenticide diphacinone on the 256-ha island in an attempt to rid it of Black or Ship Rats *Rattus rattus*.  Although it is still too early to be definite, the chances of their eradication appear good. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/short_tailed_albatross_hand_reared_chick_on_nest_by_tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross chicks transferred to Mukojima. Photograph by Tomohiro Deguchi") The Ogasawara Islands, including Mukojima, are due to be considered for [World Heritage status](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/japan-nominates-the-ogasawara-islands-to-the-world-heritage-convention) in 2011.  [Click here](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/suisensho_eigo.pdf) for the World Heritage nomination text.  The Ogasawara Islands Ecosystem Conservation Action Plan is available at [http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf). **References:** Harrison, C. 2009 [=2010].  Rat eradication in Ogasawara Islands. In: Conservation Report, Summer 2010.  *Pacific Seabirds* 36(2): 48.   [http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_36_2.pdf](http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_36_2.pdf). Hashimoto, T. 2010.  Eradication and ecosystem impacts of rats in the Ogasawara Islands.  In: Kawakami, K & Okochi, I. (Eds).  *Restoring the Oceanic Island Ecosystem.  Impact and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Bonin Islands*.  Tokyo: Springer.  pp. 153-159.  [http://www.springerlink.com/content/k74772406nrj848v/](http://www.springerlink.com/content/k74772406nrj848v/). With thanks to Crag Harrison, Mike Rauzon and Tatsuo Yabe for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/good-news-for-japans-black-footed-laysan-and-short-tailed-albatrosses-ridding-mukojima-in-the-ogasawara-islands-of-its-rats.md) ## Conservation research on the Balearic Shearwater of the Mediterranean: a potential ACAP species UPDATED The Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, endemic to Spanish islands in the Mediterranean Sea ([click here](http://www.imedea.uib.es/natural/goi/seabirds/eng/6/61.html)), has been categorized as [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=30026) by BirdLife International.  The species has also been identified as a potential candidate for inclusion within the Albatross and Petrel Agreement, because of the risks it continues to face at sea from fisheries and on land from introduced predators ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/balearic_shearwater_daniel_oro.jpg "Balaearic Shearwater. Photograph by Daniel Oro") The Population Ecology Group is a Spanish research team established in 1999, which groups researchers from the fields of biology, marine sciences, physics and veterinary science.  Projects deal with the biology of threatened populations in marine Mediterranean habitats, with an emphasis on the relationships between seabirds as marine predators and fisheries operating in the western Mediterranean.  The group is headed by Dr Daniel Oro and forms part of the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies ([IMEDEA](http://www.imedea.uib.es/index.php)), a research centre jointly governed by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and the University of the Balearic Islands. A list of publications up to 2009 on the Balearic Shearwater by IMEDEA's Population Ecology Group may be found at [http://www.imedea.uib.es/natural/goi/seabirds/eng/2/21.html](http://www.imedea.uib.es/natural/goi/seabirds/eng/2/21.html). At the most recent meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee, held in Argentina in April 2010, France advised that in consultation with Spain it would give consideration jointly to proposing that the Balearic Shearwater be added to Annex 1 of the Agreement.  The Advisory Committee welcomed this advice and looked forward to considering the documentation, noting that a Species Assessment had been drafted by the Secretariat in 2008 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-final-report) for the meeting's report). For a list of Action Plans for the Balearic Shearwater go to: Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). For three papers published in 2010 on Balearic Shearwaters see: Andrade, J. & Ramirez, I. 2010. Monitoring Balearic Shearwaters on the Portugese Atlantic coast.  *Seabird Group Newsletter* 114: 9-13. Bartumeus, F., Giuggioli, L., Louzao, M., Bretagnolle, V., Oro, D. & Levin, S.A.  2010.  Fishery discards impact on seabird movement patterns at regional scales.  *Current Biology* 20: 215-222.  [http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2010/2010_BCB20.pdf](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2010/2010_BCB20.pdf). Käkelä, R., Käkelä, A., Martínez-Abraín, A , Sarzo, B., Louzao, M., Gerique, C., Villuendas, E., Strandberg, U., Furness, R.W. & Oro, D. 2010.  Fatty acid signature analysis confirms foraging resources of a globally endangered Mediterranean seabird species: calibration test and application to the wild.  *Marine Ecology Progress Series* 398: 245-258.  [http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v398/p245-258/](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v398/p245-258/). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-yelkouan-shearwater-of-the-mediterranean-gets-relief-from-feral-cats-on-frances-port-cros-island ) for a recent ACAP news item on the closely related Yelkouan Shearwater *P. yelkouan*, also endemic to the Mediterranean and similarly identified by ACAP as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement. With thanks to Daniel Oro for information *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 November 2010, updated 24 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/conservation-research-on-the-balearic-shearwater-of-the-mediterranean-a-potential-acap-species.md) ## Australia's BROKE-West Southern Ocean ecosystem survey records seabird assemblages in relation to krill In 2006 Australian scientists surveyed a little-known part of the Southern Ocean off Antarctica, as recently summarized in an article by Steve Nicol in the *[Australian Antarctic Magazine](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australian-antarctic-magazine/issue-18-2010/broke-west-breaks-ground-in-marine-research)* ([Issue 18, pp. 11-12](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australian-antarctic-magazine/issue-18-2010)).  Observations on seabirds made by Eric Woehler and colleagues during BROKE-West have now been published in a [special issue](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%236035%232010%23999429990%231925703%23FLA%23&_cdi=6035&_pubType=J&_auth=y&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fa12ef7fab2c0cc4c04c8f6bd7dd3477 ) of the journal *[Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09670645)*. The seabird paper's abstract follows: "Seabird surveys in January - March 2006 of a poorly known area of the Southern Ocean adjacent to the East Antarctic coast identified six seabird communities, several of which were comparable to seabird communities identified both in adjacent sectors of the Antarctic, and elsewhere in the Southern Ocean.  These results support previous proposals that the Southern Ocean seabird community is characterised by an ice-associated assemblage and an open-water assemblage, with the species composition of the assemblages reflecting local (Antarctic-resident) breeding species, and the migratory routes and feeding areas of distant-breeding taxa, respectively.  Physical environmental covariates such as sea-ice cover, distance to continental shelf and time of year influenced the distribution and abundance of seabirds observed, but the roles of these factors in the observed spatial and temporal patterns in seabird assemblages was confounded by the duration of the survey.  Occurrence of a number of seabird taxa exhibited significant correlations with krill densities at one or two spatial scales, but only three taxa (Arctic Tern, Snow Petrel and dark shearwaters, i.e. Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters) showed significant correlations at a range of spatial scales.  Dark shearwater abundances showed correlations with krill densities across the range of spatial scales examined." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/sooty_shearwater_2_john_graham.jpg "Sooty Shearwater at sea. Photograph by John Graham") **Reference:** Woehler, E.J., Raymond, B., Boyle, A. & Stafford, A. 2010.  Seabird assemblages observed during the BROKE-West survey of the Antarctic coastline (30°E-80°E), January - March 2006.  *[Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VGC-4XVBP3T-1&_user=10&_coverDate=05%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=20&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236035%232010%23999429990%231925703%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6035&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=20&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f9aef03dc7c374cdb0ea2d876433933d&searchtype=a)* 57: 982-991. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/australias-broke-west-southern-ocean-ecosystem-survey-records-seabird-assemblages-in-relation-to-krill.md) ## Spanish research on Calonectris Shearwaters [Cory's Shearwater](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3926) *Calonectris diomedea* , along with several shearwaters of the genus *Puffinus*, has been identified by ACAP as a potential candidate for listing within the Albatross and Petrel  Agreement ([click here](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/corys_shearwater_john_graham.jpg "Cory's Shearwater. Photograph by John Graham") A suite of publications emanating from recent and past (from 1997) research on Cory's Shearwater at Mediterranean and Macaronesian islands by researchers based at the [Departament de Biologia Animal](http://www.ub.edu/bioani/), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain and led by [Jacob González-Solís](http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/) may be found at [http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/publications/index.php](http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/publications/index.php). Research fields covered include evolutionary ecology, behaviour and conservation, with field work conducted in Cape Verde (on the closely related and [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=30221) Cape Verde Shearwater*C. edwardsii*) and on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. See also: Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Recent (2010) publications on Cory's and Cape Verde Shearwaters: Giudici, A, Navarro, J., Juste, C. & Jacob González-Solís, J. 2010.  Physiological ecology of breeders and sabbaticals in a pelagic seabird.  *Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology* 389: 13-17.  ([click here](http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/pdfs/Giudici_Navarro_Juste_Gonzalez-Solis_Calonectris_sabbaticals_JEMBE.pdf)). Gómez-Díaz, E. & González-Solís, J. 2010.  Trophic structure in a seabird host-parasite food web: insights from stable isotope analyses.  *PLoS ONE* 5(5): e10454. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010454.  ([click here](http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0010454)). Roscales, J.L., Munoz-Arnanz, J., González-Solís, J. & Jiménez, B. 2010.  Geographical PCB and DDT patterns in shearwaters (*Calonectris*sp.) breeding across the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean Archipelagos.  *Environmental Science & Technology* 44: 2328-2334.  ([click here](http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/pdfs/Roscales_Gonzalez-Solis_Calonectris_organochlorine_PCB_DDT_EST.pdf)). With thanks to Jacob González-Solís for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/spanish-research-on-calonectris-shearwaters.md) ## The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission makes slow progress with changing its seabird bycatch resolution At the Sixth Session of its Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch ([WPEB](http://www.iotc.org/English/meetings/wp/wpbycurrent.php)) held last month the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission ([IOTC](http://www.iotc.org)) discussed simplifying its seabird bycatch mitigation measure ([Resolution 10/06 On Reducing the Incidental Bycatch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/misc/ComReportsTexts/resolutions_E.pdf)) by removing two of the measures not considered proven by research to reduce seabird bycatch.  The choice of measures would then be restricted to four (weighted branch lines; night setting with minimum deck lighting; bird-scaring (Tori) lines; and blue-dyed squid bait), of which a minimum of two measures had to used by longline vessels fishing south of 25°S. In the event consensus was not achieved, with a small minority of scientists attending the meeting arguing that the resolution should be left unchanged, and that the two other mitigation measures currently listed (use of a line shooter and offal management) should be retained. The scientists who expressed reservations were encouraged to present research results to the next meeting of the IOTC Scientific Committee in support of their positions.  It was agreed that unless this was done, the advice to the Scientific Committee to revise the resolution would stand ([click here](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/wpeb/IOTC-2010-WPEB-R[E].pdf) for the report of WPEB-6). The IOTC Scientific Committee meets next month in Victoria, Seychelles over 6-10 December ([click here](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/sc/IOTC-2010-SC-01[E].pdf)for the meeting agenda) where the matter is expected to be discussed when the WPEB report is presented to the meeting. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/I/Indian_Yellow_nosed_Albatross_Prince_Edward_Island4_by_Peter_Ryan.jpg "Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross breeding on South Africa's Prince Edward Island. Photograph by Peter Ryan") Visit this site next month to see whether or not the IOTC Scientific Committee recommends to the Commission that Resolution 10/06 be changed - as the majority of members of its Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch have proposed. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/indian-ocean-tuna-commission-to-consider-new-bycatch-mitigation-research-for-pelagic-longliners) for an earlier ACAP news item on the 2010 IOTC-WPEB-6 meeting. The 2010 meetings of the IOTC WPEB and Scientific Committee are being attended by the Convenor of the ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Barry Baker. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-indian-ocean-tuna-commission-makes-slow-progress-with-changing-its-seabird-bycatch-resolution.md) ## Flesh-footed Shearwaters are at risk from longline fisheries in Australian waters The [Flesh-footed Shearwater](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3930 ) *Puffinus carnepeis* along with several shearwaters of the genus *Puffinus* and *Calonectris* has been identified by ACAP as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement (Cooper & Baker 2008, Cooper 2010). There are two populations of the Flesh-footed Shearwater - one largely confined to the Indian Ocean, and another to the Pacific Ocean.  Both populations breed in the southern hemisphere over the Austral summer and migrate to the northern hemisphere in the non-breeding season.  Most research to date has focused on the Pacific population, which breeds on Australia's Lord Howe Island and in New Zealand.  The Indian Ocean population breeds on French St Paul Island (500 pairs) and on a number of islands along the Western Australian coast. The species is known to be at risk from longlining in Australian waters.  The mean number of birds killed in Australia's Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery from 1998 to 2002 has been estimated as 1794-4486 birds a year (Baker & Wise 2005). Concern has been expressed about a decline in breeding numbers at Lord Howe Island, surveyed as 17 462 breeding pairs in 2002 (Priddell *et al.* 2006).  A rodent eradication programme has been drawn up for this island (Lord Howe Island Board 2006) and is currently under consideration. A recent at-sea tracking study (Thalmann *et al*. 2009) shows that longline fishing and foraging Flesh-footed Shearwaters from Lord Howe Island overlap substantially and recommends that the [Australian Fisheries Management Authority](http://www.afma.gov.au/ ) should consider implementing additional regulations to reduce seabird bycatch. Research has also been conducted on the Flesh-footed Shearwater at its Western Australian breeding sites (Powell *et al*. 2007, Powell 2009) and on its population size in New Zealand, estimated as about 10 000 pairs (Baker *et al.* 2010). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/flesh-footed_shearwater_barry_baker.jpg "A Flesh-footed Shearwater enters its burrow. Photograph by Barry Baker") **Selected recent publications on Flesh-footed Shearwaters in Australasia:** Baker, G.B. & Wise, B.S. 2005.  The impact of pelagic longline fishing on the Flesh-footed Shearwater *Puffinus carneipes* in eastern Australia.  [*Biological Conservation* 126: 306-316](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-4GX64YP-1&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2005&_rdoc=3&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235798%232005%23998739996%23606329%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5798&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=19&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=043b3b37c57baebc88663966ccccbf87&searchtype=a). Baker, B., Hedley, G. & Cunningham, R. 2010.  Data collection of demographic, distributional, and trophic information on the Flesh-footed Shearwater to allow estimation of effects of fishing on population viability: 2009- 10 Field Season.  Report prepared for the Ministry of Fisheries [PRO2006-01 I.](http://www.latitude42.com.au/Reports/Flesh_footed_Shearwater_popn_estimate_Report_June_2010.pdf)  Kettering, Australia: Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants.  Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). Dyer, P. K. 2001.  Burrow occupancy by Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Flesh-footed Shearwaters on Lord Howe Island.  [*Corella*26: 38-40](http://www.absa.asn.au/Abstracts/abstracts26.html). Gaze, P. 2000.  The response of a colony of Sooty Shearwater (*Puffinus griseus*) and Flesh-footed Shearwater (*P. carneipes*) to the cessation of harvesting and the eradication of Norway Rats (*Rattus norvegicus*).  [*New Zealand Journal of Zoology* 27: 375-379](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/media/publications-journals-nzjz-2000-044.pdf). Lord Howe Island Board 2009.  *Draft Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Plan. *Lord Howe Island: Lord Howe Island Board ([click here](http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pestsweeds/draftLHIrodentplan.pdf)). Powell, C.D.L. 2009.  Foraging movements and the migration trajectory of Flesh-footed Shearwaters *Puffinus carneipes*from the south coast of Western Australia.  [*Marine Ornithology*37: 115-120](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/37_2/37_2_115-120.pdf). Powell, C.D.L., Wooller, R.D. & Bradley, J.S. 2007.  Breeding biology of the Flesh-footed Shearwater (*Puffinus carneipes*) on Woody Island, Western Australia.  [*Emu Austral Ornithology* 107, 275-283](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU07005.htm). Priddel, D., Carlile, N., Fullagar, P., Hutton, I. & O'Neill, L. 2006.  Decline in the distribution and abundance of Flesh-footed Shearwaters (*Puffinus carneipes*) on Lord Howe Island, Australia.  [*Biological Conservation* 128: 412-424](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V5X-4HNSGB1-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2006&_rdoc=14&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235798%232006%23998719996%23614460%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5798&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=15&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=43089427db76b35d4d0ee8bd4a52e7af&searchtype=a). Taylor, G.A. 2000.  Action Plan for Seabird Conservation in New Zealand.  Part B: Non-threatened Seabirds.  *Threatened Species Occasional Publication* [No. 17: 2326-435](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/TSOP17.pdf). Thalmann, S.J., Baker, G.B., Hindell, M. & Tuck, G.N. 2009.  Longline fisheries and foraging distribution of Flesh-Footed Shearwaters in eastern Australia.  [*Journal of Wildlife Management* 73: 399-406](http://www.wildlifejournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.2193%2F2007-461). Thalmann, S.J., Lea, M.-A., Hindell, M., Priddel, D. & Carlile, N. 2010.  Provisioning in Flesh-footed Shearwaters (*Puffinus carneipes*): plastic foraging behavior and the implications for increased fishery interactions.  [*Auk* 127: 140-150](http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/auk.2009.09158). With thanks to Barry Baker for information. *ACAP Information Officer, 17 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/flesh-footed-shearwaters-are-at-risk-from-longline-fisheries-in-australian-waters.md) ## Symposium on eradication of vertebrate pests on islands to be held in Australia in June 2011 The 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference will be held in Sydney, Australia over 20-23 June 2011 with the overall theme "Security from the impact of vertebrate pest animals" ([click here](http://www.avpc.net.au) for the conference web site). A symposium on the management of vertebrate pests on islands will be held as part of the conference for which oral papers are now solicited.  Subjects will include eradication, sustained control, biosecurity and quarantine, detecting and managing survivors, the strategies and tools that worked or failed, and management of non-target or environmental problems. The emphasis is for projects in the Australasian region but papers from elsewhere will be considered, especially if they demonstrate general or novel problems or solutions. Send abstracts to the conference organizer ([click here](http://www.avpc.net.au/pages/abstracts.html)) as well as a copy to the symposium organizers, Elain Murphy, New Zealand Department of Conservation and John Parkes, New Zealand Landcare Research at [emurphy@doc.govt.nz](mailto:emurphy@doc.govt.nz). Other planned symposia include Human-wildlife conflicts: integrating ethics, animal welfare ans science; Risk assessment and risk management; Community involvement in vertebrate pest control; and New tools and methods in pest control ([click here](http://www.avpc.net.au/pages/program.html) for a full list of symposia). The deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 February 2011.  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 November 2010* ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan_Albatross_chick_by_Ross_Wanless.jpg "Tristan Albatross chick being attacked by House Mice on Gough Island. Photograph by Ross Wanless") [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/symposium-on-eradication-of-vertebrate-pests-on-islands-to-be-held-in-australia-in-june-2011.md) ## Eradication of rabbits and rodents will continue at Macquarie Island in 2011 One of the planet's largest pest eradication projects is set to continue on Australia's [World Heritage-listed](http://www.unescoworldheritagesites.com/macquarie-island_tasmania_australia.htm) Macquarie Island ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News Article&intID=2105)). The AUS$24.6 million project, jointly funded by the Australian Federal and Tasmanian Governments, is aimed at eradicating the large numbers of rabbits and rodents destroying the natural environment on the remote island south-east of Tasmania ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013)).  The 2010 attempt was aborted due to a long run of bad weather that halted the helicopters from distributing poisoned bait. The Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, and the Tasmanian Environment Minister David O'Byrne today announced the project will continue next year following the recommendations of an expert review. "The review advised that the pests are causing catastrophic damage to the Macquarie Island ecosystem and if this continues some seabird populations are likely to become extinct on the island," Mr Burke said. "I have agreed to the continuation of the baiting program, which is crucial to eradicating rabbits and rodents from Macquarie Island, to protect its unique flora and fauna and irreplaceable World Heritage values. "The review found that some birds died after scavenging the poisoned carcasses of dead rabbits, rodents and other birds.  To mitigate this a team will be dedicated to searching for and removing poisoned carcasses following baiting and will also investigate using alternate food sources to divert these birds." Mr O'Byrne said restoring the natural ecosystem will outweigh the short-term impacts. "The continuation of this difficult and complicated project is vital to ensure the spectacular Macquarie Island ecosystem is restored.  This effort demonstrates a commitment to protecting Australia's areas of outstanding heritage values, and also strengthens the capacity of our conservation management agencies to conduct eradication projects in the future. "The Australian and Tasmanian Governments will continue working together to protect the outstanding universal values of Macquarie Island, taking every step to ensure as few birds as possible are harmed." The baiting programme, which is carried out by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, will continue in the winter months of 2011 to reduce the impacts on native species. [Click here](http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3071109.htm) for comment on the news from the Eradication Programme's Manager, Keith Springer. Regular news of the pest eradication project can be obtained from its newsletter *[Macquarie Dispatch](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001)*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black-browed Albatross Preening by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses at Macquarie Island. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") With thanks to Ian Hay for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/eradication-of-rabbits-and-rodents-will-continue-at-macquarie-island-in-2011.md) ## An often-seen colour-banded Antipodean Albatross gets a second chance after being entangled in fishing line [Albatross Encounter](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/) operates seabird-watching trips out of Kaikoura, New Zealand.  Birds are attracted to the boat by chumming when they can be observed (and photographed) at close quarters. Since 2005, 37 different banded albatrosses have been observed during bird tours from Kaikoura, most of which have been Gibson's Antipodean Albatrosses *Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni*, and of which at least 27 were originally banded on Adams Island, in the Auckland Island group. Two birds (Orange 512 and Red 73E) have together been recorded off Kaikoura no less than 332 times since 2005.  Orange 512 was first seen off Kaikoura on 22 December 1998 before the regular collection of records commenced.  It was banded as a chick close to fledging in the Mount Dick colony on Adams Island on 24 December 1996 by Graeme Taylor and Kath Walker. [![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/antipodean_albatross_albatross_encounter.jpg)](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/)[![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/antipodean_albatross_73e_albatross_encounter.jpg)](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/) Orange 512 and Red 73E photographed off Kaikoura by Albatross Encounter On 8 October 2010 Orange 512 was spotted entangled with metres of fishing line, was caught and brought ashore, the line was removed and the bird was then released at sea by Albatross Encounter skipper Gary Melville ([click here](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4223682/Skipper-rescues-albatross-from-deadly-tangle)). [![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/antipodean_albatross_released_albatross encounter.jpg)](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/) [http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/) Albatross Encounter Skipper Gary Melville about to release Orange 512. See also [http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/albatross/ocean_news/](http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/albatross/ocean_news/) for a report of a sighting of another Gibson's Antipodean Albatross at Kaikoura. With thanks to Tracy McKeown, Albatross Encounter for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/an-often-seen-colour-banded-antipodean-albatross-gets-a-second-chance-after-being-entangled-in-fishing-line.md) ## Research on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 2000-2010 The Wedge-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus pacificus*, along with eight other shearwaters of the genera *Puffinus* and *Calonectris*, has been identified as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement (Cooper & Baker 2008, Cooper 2010). The species has a wide distribution in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans and a large population, estimated as over five million birds (Brooke 2004).  The Wedge-tailed Shearwater has been exploited for food by humans and is vulnerable at its breeding sites to introduced rodents, pigs and cats (Taylor 2000).  Reduction of tuna populations by fishing may also be contributing to a decline as the bird forages in association with tuna schools. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/wedge-tailed shearwater_alan_burger.jpg "Wedge-tailed Shearwater at its burrow on Cousin Island, The Seychelles. Photograph by Alan Burger") **Selected recent publications on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters** Baduini, C. L. 2002.  Parental provisioning patterns of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and their relation to chick body condition.  [*Condor* 104: 823-831](http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104%5B0823:PPPOWT%5D2.0.CO%3B2). Bancroft, W.J.2008.  Nearest neighbour analysis and spatial relationships of Wedge-tailed Shearwater, *Puffinus pacificus,*(Aves: Procellariiformes) burrow entrances at Radar Reef, Rottnest Island, Western Australia.  *Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania*142: 31-34. Bancroft, W.J. 2009.  Research and recreational disturbance of Wedge-tailed Shearwater burrows on Rottnest Island, Western Australia: Managing human traffic in burrowing seabird colonies.  [*Ecological Management & Restoration* 10: 64-71](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2009.00442.x/abstract). Bancroft, W.J., Garkaklis, M.J. & Roberts, J.D. 2004.  Continued expansion of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, *Puffinus pacificus,*nesting colonies on Rottnest Island, Western Australia.  [*Emu Austral Ecology*104: 79-82](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU03010.htm). Bancroft, W.J., Garkaklis, M.J. & Roberts, J.D. 2005.  Burrow building in seabird colonies: a soil forming process in island ecosystems.  [*Pedobiologia*49: 149-165](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7CW5-4F2B7GN-7&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2005&_rdoc=6&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%2318097%232005%23999509997%23582614%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=18097&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=8&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b66e7bf3132880a73f0187dfd5dc0310&searchtype=a). Bancroft, W.J., Hill, D. & Roberts, J.D. 2004.  A new method for calculating volume of excavated burrows: the geomorphic impact of Wedge-tailed Shearwater burrows on Rottnest Island.  [*Functional Ecology*18: 752-759](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00898.x/abstract). Bancroft, W.J., Roberts, J.D. & Garkaklis, M.J. 2005.  Burrowing seabirds drive decreased diversity and structural complexity, and increased productivity in insular-vegetation communities.  [*Australian Journal of Botany*53: 231-241](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/65/paper/BT04079.htm). Bancroft, W.J., Roberts, J.D. & Garkaklis, M.J. 2005.  Burrow entrance attrition rate in Wedge-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus pacificus*colonies on Rottnest Island, Western Australia.  [*Marine Ornithology*33: 23-26](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/33_1/33_1_23-26.pdf). Bancroft, W.J., Roberts, J.D. & Garkalis, M.J. 2008.  Vertebrate fauna associates of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, *Puffinus pacificus*, colonies of Rottnest Island: influence of an ecosystem engineer.  *Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania*142: 21-30. Brooke, M. [de L.] 2004. *Albatrosses and Petrels across the World*.  Oxford: Oxford University Press. Burger, A.E. 2001.  Diving depths of shearwaters.  [*Auk*118: 755-759](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3793/is_200107/ai_n8981726/pg_2/?tag=content;col1). Burger, A.E. & Lawrence, A.D. 2001.  Census of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters *Puffinus pacificus*and Audubon's Shearwaters *P. lherminieri*on Cousin Island, Seychelles using call-playback.  [*Marine Ornithology*29: 57-64](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/29_1/29_1_11.pdf). Congdon, B.C., Krockenberger, A.K. & Smithers, B.V. 2005.  Dual foraging strategy in a tropical procellariid, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 301: 293-301](http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2005/301/m301p293.pdf). Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). Dyer, P.K. 2000.  Wedge-tailed Shearwaters on Mudjimba Island, Queensland: numbers and breeding success.  [*Corella*24: 15-18](http://www.absa.asn.au/Abstracts/abstracts24.html). Dyer, P. K. 2001.  Burrow occupancy by Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Flesh-footed Shearwaters on Lord Howe Island.  [*Corella*26: 38-40](http://www.absa.asn.au/Abstracts/abstracts26.html). Dyer, P.K. 2003.  A decline in the number of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding on Raine Island.  [*Corella* 27: 13-17](http://www.absa.asn.au/Abstracts/abstracts27.html). Peck, D.R. & Congdon, B.C. 2005.  Colony-specific foraging behaviour and co-ordinated divergence of chick development in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus pacificus*.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series*299: 289-296](http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2005/299/m299p289.pdf). Peck, D.R. & Congdon, B.C. 2006.  Sex-specific chick provisioning and diving behaviour in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater.  [*Journal of Avian Biology* 37: 1-7](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2006.0908-8857.03558.x/abstract). Peck, D.R., Bancroft, W.J. & Congdon, B.C. 2008.  Morphological and molecular variation within an ocean basin in Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (*Puffinus pacificus*).  [*Marine Biology* 153: 1113-1125](http://www.springerlink.com/content/at34675158274676/fulltext.pdf). Peck, D.R., Smithers, B.V., Krockenberger, A. & Congdon, B.C. 2004.  Sea surface temperature constrains Wedge-tailed Shearwater foraging success within breeding seasons. [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 281: 259-266](http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2004/281/m281p259.pdf). Smithers, B.V., Peck, D.R., Krockenberger, A.K. & Congdon, B.C. 2003.  Elevated sea surface temperature and reproductive failure of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (*Puffinus pacificus*) in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia.  [*Marine & Freshwater Research* 54: 973-977](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/126/paper/MF02137.htm). Taylor, G.A. 2000.  Action Plan for Seabird Conservation in New Zealand.  Part B: Non-threatened Seabirds.  [*Threatened Species Occasional Publication* No. 17: 236-435](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/TSOP17.pdf). With thanks to Wesley Bancroft and Allan Burger. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/research-on-wedge-tailed-shearwaters-2000-2010.md) ## Waterbird Society to meet in Nebraska, USA in March 2011 The Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the [Waterbird Society](http://www.waterbirds.org/) will be held in Grand Island, Nebraska, USA from 13 - 16 March 2011 ([click here](http://www.waterbirds.org/annual_meeting)). The Waterbird Society, established in 1976, is composed of biologists, researchers, conservationists, students and others interested in the behaviour, ecology, and conservation of water birds (which include seabirds).  The mission of the society is to foster the study, management, and conservation of the world's aquatic birds and their habitats. Information on online submission of abstracts (deadline 15 January 2011) registration and special sessions may be found on the society's web site. The Waterbird Society publishes its journal *Waterbirds.  The International Journal of Waterbird Biology (*formerly*Colonial Waterbirds*) ([click here](http://www.waterbirds.org/journal)[).](http://www.waterbirds.org/journal) *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/waterbird-society-to-meet-in-nebraska-usa-in-march-2011.md) ## Male Northern Giant Petrels are at risk from secondary poisoning on Macquarie Island Both primary and secondary poisoning of non-target species are risks that face pest eradication programmes and require amelioration (e.g. Wanless *et al.* 2010).  For example, spreading poison baits on islands is often carried out during winter months when most summer-breeding seabirds are absent at sea. On Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island an attempt to rid the island of introduced rabbits and rodents by spreading poison bait by helicopter was aborted this year after long runs of non-flying weather ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13013)).  Following a review of the programme, it is now been decided to make a new attempt in 2011 ([click here](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?sys=News Article&intID=2105)). Although only a small part of the island was baited this year, on-going foot patrols by island field staff have up to 19 November found a total of 883 corpses of six bird species, thought to have died either by primary poisoning (by direct ingestion of bait) or by secondary poisoning (by feeding on poisoned carcasses).  A total of 293 (33.1%) of the birds found dead and showing characteristic signs of haemorrhaging were ACAP-listed Northern Giant Petrels *Macronectes halli*.  This figure is 8.0% of the island's 2010/11 annual breeding population of 1829 pairs. Only 12 Southern Giant Petrel *M. giganteus*corpses were found although the island's breeding population of Southerns is larger than that of Northerns (Patterson *et al*. 2008, [http://www.acap.aq/acap-species](https://www.acap.aq/acap-species)).  Further, of a sample of 10 dead Northern Giant Petrels collected on the island and autopsied back in Tasmania, nine were males.  It seems likely that the giant petrels died from secondary, rather than primary poisoning, as on a couple of occasions they were seen to be feeding on dead rabbits.  In addition in repeated bait trials during 2006-2008 no Northern Giant Petrels showed any interest when presented with (non-poison) bait pellets. The observed differences in mortality rates are thought to be a reflection of differences in foraging behaviour between the sibling species and between the sexes that have been observed at Macquarie and at other sub-Antarctic islands where both species breed (Johnstone 1977, Hunter 1983, Hunter & Brooke 1992, González-Solís *et al*. 2000, de Bruyn *et al*. 2007). The experience gained this year will be used to make changes to procedures during the 2011 bait drop.  Intensive searches for and removal or burial of rabbit and bird corpses during and immediately after the aerial-baiting phase will result in less food for giant petrels, and hopefully a reduced mortality from secondary poisoning.  In addition, the feasibility of using alternate food sources to divert non-target species from poisoned corpses will be investigated. In addition, collection of bait pellets in the immediate vicinity of nests of the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* (as was carried out this year) will reduce the slight risks of chicks dying from primary poisoning. Regular news of the pest eradication project can be obtained from its newsletter *[Macquarie Dispatch](http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=13001)*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant_Petrel_by_Marienne_de_Villiers.jpg "Northern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Marienne de Villiers") **References:** De Bruyn, P.J.N., Cooper, J., Bester, M.N. & Tosh, C.A. 2007.  The importance of land-based prey for sympatrically breeding giant petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island.  [*Antarctic Science*19: 25-30](http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FANS%2FANS19_01%2FS0954102007000053a.pdf&code=d52d05a2ce027becec9cdaa4de02bcf5). González-Solís, J., Croxall, J.P. & Wood, A.G. 2000.  Foraging partitioning between giant petrels M*acronectes* spp. and its relationship with breeding population changes at Bird Island, South Georgia.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 204: 279-288](http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/204/m204p279.pdf). Hunter, S. 1983.  The food and feeding ecology of giant petrels *Macronectes halli* and *M. giganteus* at South Georgia.  [*Journal of Zoology, London* 200: 521-538](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1983.tb02813.x/abstract). Hunter, S. & Brooke, M.deL. 1992.  The diet of giant petrels *Macronectes* spp. at Marion Island, southern Indian Ocean.  *Colonial Waterbirds* 15: 56-65. Johnstone, G.W. 1977.  Comparative feeding ecology of the giant petrels *Macronectes giganteus* (Gmelin) and *M. halli* (Mathews).  In: Llano, G.A. (Ed.).  *Adaptations within Antarctic Ecosystems*.  *Proceedings of the Third SCAR Symposium on Antarctic Biology*.  Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.  pp. 647-668. Patterson, D.L., Woehler, E.J., Croxall, J.P., Cooper, J., Poncet, S., Peter, H.-U., Hunter, S. & Fraser, W.R. 2008.  Breeding distribution and population status of the Northern Giant Petrel *Macronectes halli* and the Southern Giant Petrel *M. giganteus.  [Marine](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf)*[*Ornithology* 36: 115-125](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_115-124.pdf) + on-line appendix. Wanless, R.M., Cooper, J., Slabber, M. & Ryan, P.G. 2010.  Risk assessment of terrestrially foraging birds on Marion and Gough Islands to primary and secondary poisoning by rodenticides.  [*Wildlife Research*37: 524-530](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/paper/WR10005.htm). With thanks to Ian Hay, Australian Antarctic Division and Keith Springer, Manager, Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Programme for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/male-northern-giant-petrels-are-at-risk-from-secondary-poisoning-on-macquarie-island.md) ## The Short-tailed Albatross mate returns to its nest on Kure Atoll, Hawaii After an 18-day incubation stint, the second member of the Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus* pair on Kure Atoll, Hawaii returned on 17 November to relieve its mate of incubation duties.  For previous information on the Kure Atoll breeding attempt by Short-tailed Albatrosses [click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-short-tailed-albatross-lays-eggs-on-kure-atoll-hawaii). On 31 October 2010 a Short-tailed Albatross nest was discovered on Kure Atoll, 90 km north-west of Midway, with an assumed female in final-phase plumage incubating a single egg.  The next day the same individual was seen incubating two freshly laid eggs, but no trace of a partner was seen.  At the time of the second egg being laid, Laysan *P. immutabilis*and Black-footed *P. nigripes* Albatrosses had not commenced breeding on Kure, so it was assumed that both eggs were laid by Short-tailed Albatrosses. With the return of the second bird, a ten-year-old banded individual with immature plumage who appears to be the same individual as seen on the island in 2008 and also assumed to be a female, this makes it the first record of a breeding pair of this species in the Hawaiian Islands.  Although a single female laid and then abandoned infertile eggs on Midway Atoll from 1989-2001, there was no indication of a male ever attending the nest.  Since albatrosses only ever lay one egg a season, the presence of two eggs strongly suggests a pair of females, which likely have each laid an infertile egg that will not hatch.  As of 19 November, one of the two eggs was no longer in the nest and the new assumed female was incubating only a single egg. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/short_tailed_albatross_kure_cynthia_ mate_vanderlip.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross partner at Kure Atoll. Photograph by Cynthia Vanderlip") Female-female pairs are relatively common amongst Laysan Albatrosses, particularly in new colonies, and the phenomenon has also been documented in Black-footed Albatrosses. These pairs typically lay two eggs, similar to the Short-tailed Albatross pair, but end up incubating only one egg.  The second egg either eventually rolls out of the nest cup, or becomes buried in it, but is not actively ejected from the nest ([click here](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/PDF_Docs/58%20Young%20et%20al%202008%20same%20sex%20pairing%20in%20albatross.pdf ) for more information on female-pair Laysans). Surprisingly, many of these female-female pairs in Laysan Albatrosses still mate with males and often fledge chicks, so there is still hope that the egg belonging to the Kure Atoll pair of Short-tailed Albatrosses is fertile.  We will keep our collective fingers crossed that their egg hatches. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/short_tailed_albatross_kure_matt_neal_2008.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross at Kure Atoll in 2008: the same bird? Photograph by Matt Neal") For information on Kure Atoll visit [http://www.kureatollconservancy.org/](http://www.kureatollconservancy.org/). With thanks to Cynthia Vanderlip, Field Camp Manager, Kure Atoll Seabird Sanctuary, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources for information by satellite ‘phone from Kure Atoll. *Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent, 24 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-short-tailed-albatross-mate-returns-to-its-nest-on-kure-atoll-hawaii.md) ## Sexing Black-browed Albatrosses by discriminant analysis Patricia Gandini of the Centro de Investigaciones de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, Argentina and colleagues in the same country have inspected a collection of drowned Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*from demersal longline fisheries operating within Patagonian Shelf waters in order to determine whether the overall external morphology of the birds varied with sex.  Their findings have been published recently in the printed version of the South American journal *[El Hornero](http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php/script_sci_serial/pid_0073-3407/lng_es/nrm_iso)*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/black-browed_albatrosses_juan_pablo_seco_pon.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses breeding in the Falklands/Malvinas. Photograph by Juan Pablo Seco Pon") The paper´s summary follows: "Black-browed Albatross displays little sexual dimorphism and although males are usually larger than females, sexing birds by direct observation is difficult.  We evaluated sexual size dimorphism in this species and provided reliable method to predict the sex of measured birds.  Discriminant analysis of six morphometric measurements of adult birds indicated that only three variables (bill depth, head width and nape) were the most accurate variables to use in a discriminant function model, predicting sex with 87% of reliability." **Reference:** Gandini, P., Frere, E., García, M.F. & Seco Pon, J.P. 2009.  Sexual size dimorphism in Black-browed Albatross (*Diomedea melanophris*) incidentally killed during longline operations.  *El Hornero* 24: 43-46. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, ACAP South American News Correspondent, 25 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/sexing-black-browed-albatrosses-by-discriminant-analysis.md) ## The Pink-footed Shearwater, endemic to Chile, is the subject of international conservation efforts Along with eight other shearwaters of the genera *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*, the Pink-footed Shearwater *P. creatopus*, a trans-equatorial migrant in the Pacific Ocean, has been identified as a potential candidate for inclusion within the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. This is because of the risks it continues to face at sea from fisheries and on land from introduced predators, breeding habitat degradation and, at one colony human exploitation of chicks (Hinojosa & Hodum 2007, Cooper & Baker 2008, Cooper 2010). The species, a Chilean breeding endemic categorized as [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3931) has been listed in [Appendix 1](http://www.cms.int/documents/appendix/cms_app1_2.htm#appendix_I ) of the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species ([CMS](http://www.cms.int/)). A collaborative group from Canada, Chile, Mexico and the USA is working together with the Juan Fernández Islands Conservancy (JFIC), a programme of Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, to study and conserve the Pink-footed Shearwater (see [http://www.pinkfootedshearwater.org/index.html](http://www.pinkfootedshearwater.org/index.html) and [http://www.oikonos.org/projects/fardela.htm](http://www.oikonos.org/projects/fardela.htm)). Pink-footed Shearwaters are being tracked at sea during both the breeding season and migratory and wintering periods by JFIC/Oikonos.  Results are publicly accessible at the [Wildlife Tracking Project website](http://www.wildlifetracking.org/?species=Pink-Footed Shearwater). Several international and domestic (Canada and Chile) Action Plans or equivalent documents exist for the Pink-footed Shearwater (COSEWIC 2004, CEC 2005, Hinojosa & Hodum 2007, Environment Canada 2008). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/pink-footed_shearwater_peter_hodum.jpg "Pink-footed Shearwater. Photograph by Peter Hodum")  **Selected recent publications on Pink-footed Shearwaters:**  Commission for Environmental Cooperation 2005.  *North American Conservation Action Plan. Pink-footed Shearwater*Puffinus creatopus.  Montreal: Commission for Environmental Cooperation.  vii + 49 pp.  [http://www.cec.org/Storage/59/5164_NACAP-Pink-footed-Shearwater_en.pdf](http://www.cec.org/Storage/59/5164_NACAP-Pink-footed-Shearwater_en.pdf). Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada 2004.  *COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Pink-footed Shearwater*Puffinus creatopus *in Canada*.  Ottawa: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.  vii + 22 pp. [www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm](http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  ACAP AC5 Inf 15.  [http://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). Environment Canada 2008.  Recovery strategy for the Short-tailed Albatross (*Phoebastria albatrus*) and the Pink-footed shearwater (*Puffinus creatopus*) in Canada.  *Species at Risk Act**Recovery Strategy Series*.  Ottawa: Environment Canada.  vii + 46 pp.  [http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collection_2008/ec/En3-4-56-2008E.pdf](http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collection_2008/ec/En3-4-56-2008E.pdf) Guicking, D., Fiedler, W., Leuther, C., Schlatter, R. & Becker, P.H.  2004.  Morphometrics of the Pink-footed Shearwater (*Puffinus creatopus*): influence of sex and breeding site.  [*Journal of Ornithology* 145: 64-68](http://www.springerlink.com/content/gj8k8y2wftjdml9k/fulltext.pdf). Guicking, D., Ristow, D., Becker, P.H., Schlatter, R., Berthold, P. & Querner, U. 2001.  Satellite tracking of the Pink-footed Shearwater in Chile.  *Waterbirds* 24: 8-15. Hinojosa S., A. & Hodum, P. (Eds) 2007.  *Plan Nacional para la Conservacion de la Fardela de Vientre Blanco*Puffinus creatopus *Coues, 1864 en Chile*.  Corporación Nacional Forestal & Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente.  34 pp. With thanks to Peter Hodum for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-pink-footed-shearwater-endemic-to-chile-is-the-subject-of-international-conservation-efforts.md) ## Sixth Meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee to be held in Guayaquil, Ecuador in August-September 2011 The Sixth Meeting of ACAP's Advisory Committee (AC6) will be held from Monday, 29 August to Friday, 2 September 2011 at the [Unipark Hotel](http://www.uniparkhotel.com), Guayaquil, Ecuador. Meetings of the Status and Trends, Breeding Sites and Seabird Bycatch Working Groups will precede AC6.  These meetings will also be held at the Unipark Hotel, from Monday, 22 August to Friday, 26 August, 2011.  The exact dates of individual Working Group meetings will be advised in Meeting Circular No. 2. A Heads of Delegation meeting will be convened on Sunday, 28 August 2011.  The time and venue for this meeting will be advised closer to the meeting date. **Meeting Documents** Meeting documents requiring translation are to be submitted to the Secretariat no later than 30 June 2011 in order that they may be distributed in the three official languages 30 days in advance of the meeting.  It would assist the operation of the meeting if papers were submitted as early as possible in advance of this date.  All meeting documents must be submitted by 29 July 2011.  Meeting documents will not be accepted after this date unless there are exceptional circumstances. A draft document list will be circulated with Meeting Circular 2.  It would be appreciated if participants could advise the Secretariat of any papers that they intend submitting to the meeting as soon as possible. **Applications for Observer Status** International bodies wishing to participate in the Advisory Committee meeting must submit a written application to the Secretariat by 31 May 2011.  Applications from other bodies wishing to attend this meeting must submit a written application by 30 June 2011. Information on registration and other meeting arrangements will be provided in Meeting Circular No 2. Warren Papworth                                                                 Marco Favero Executive Secretary                                                             Chair ACAP Secretariat                                                                 Advisory Committee ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved_ Albatross_incubating_by_Kate_Huyvaert.jpg "Waved Albatross breeding on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Photograph by Kate Huyvaert ") Guayaquil is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with a metro area population exceeding 3.3 million in 2009, as well as being the nation's main port.  Guayaquil is located on the western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayquil.  Because of its location, the city is the centre of Ecuador's business and manufacturing industries (see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayaquil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayaquil)). *27 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/sixth-meeting-of-acaps-advisory-committee-to-be-held-in-guayaquil-ecuador-in-august-september-2011.md) ## Predator-proof fence to protect the Laysan Albatross colony at Hawaii's Ka'ena Point begins construction After four years of permitting and planning, the predator-proof fence at [Ka`ena Point Natural Area Reserve](http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/nars/reserves/oahu/kaenapoint) on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA has finally begun construction and is expected to be completed in January 2011. This fence comes none too soon after almost a quarter of the Laysan Albatross nests last year were lost to predation.  The approximately 600-m long marine-grade stainless steel fence will stand two metres tall and will run along the base of the mountain away from view of the ocean.  Because the reserve is a small peninsula, a design that would block the peninsula without encircling it was chosen in order to minimize the possibility of bird strikes. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/kaena_point_lindsay_young.jpg "Ka'ena Point: site for the new fence. Photograph by Lindsay Young") Ka`ena Point Natural Area Reserve is one of the most important protected areas in Hawaii because of its wealth of natural and cultural resources.  It is home to one of the most accessible albatross colonies in the World and has Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis*, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters *Puffinus pacificus* and White-trailed Tropicbirds *Phaethon lepturus* breeding within its boundaries, in addition to 11 endangered plant species. However, even with thrice-weekly predator control, up to 15% of albatross fledglings are killed by predators each year.  Additionally, 14 species of seabirds are regularly seen from shore around Ka`ena Point and it is expected that we could see the establishment of two to three new species of seabirds within several years of the fence, including Black-footed Albatrosses *Phoebastria nigripes*, which are regular visitors. Most importantly, because Ka`ena Point is on a high island, it will provide a safe breeding site for many seabird species if albatross nesting habitat in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is lost to projected sea level rises ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/whats-in-the-future-for-the-laysan-albatrosses-of-the-hawaiian-islands)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan_Albatross_Kaena_Point_by_Lindsay_Young.jpg "Laysan Albatross with chick at Ka'ena Point. Photograph by Lindsay Young") The type of fencing being used will exclude non-native predatory animals from as small as a two-day old mouse all the way up to the larger ungulates, and will prevent these animals from digging under or climbing over it ([click here](http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20101114_Fence_to_be_installed_to_protect_native_species_at_Kaena_Point.html ) for details of the fence design). The use of predator-proof fencing is anticipated to increase the effectiveness of existing predator control efforts, shifting the focus from reducing predator numbers to eradication. The fencing will make it feasible to remove all non-native predatory animals from within the fenced area and to focus control efforts on the shoreline rather than across the entire peninsula.  Predator removal efforts are expected to begin in January 2011 to correspond with the low point in the rodent breeding season. For more information, visit the Ka'ena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project at [www.restorekaena.org](http://www.restorekaena.org/) and [click here](http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Oahu/2000s/2009-06-23-OA-FEA-Kaena-Point-Ecosystem-Restoration.pdf)for the project's Final Environmental Assessment. [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-laysan-albatrosses-of-oahu-hawaii-a-growing-population-being-protected) for an earlier ACAP news item on the albatrosses of Ka'ena Point. *Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent, 28 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/predator-proof-fence-to-protect-the-laysan-albatross-colony-at-hawaiis-kaena-point-begins-construction.md) ## Recent studies on Short-tailed Shearwaters The Short-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus tenuirostris*, along with eight other shearwaters of the genus *Puffinus* and *Calonectris*, has been identified as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (Cooper & Baker 2008, Cooper 2010). Short-tailed Shearwaters are trans-equatorial migrants to the North Pacific Ocean from Australian breeding sites.  The global population has been estimated at 30 million birds at 160 colonies, mainly on islands around Tasmania (Brooke 2004).  Exploitation of chicks (muttonbirds) for human consumption, past mortality in pelagic drift nets, drowning on longline hooks in the North Pacific and more recently ecosystem changes (e.g. Uhlmann 2003, Brooke 2004, Baduini *et al*. 2006) have all been implicated in population declines (see also [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3934](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3934)). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/short_tailed_shearwater_mark_carey.jpg "Short-tailed Shearwater at sea. Photograph by Mark Carey") **Selected publications on Short-tailed Shearwaters, 2000-2010** Baduini, C.L., 2000.  The influence of anomalous weather and ocean conditions on the foraging ecology and provisioning in shearwaters.  Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, Irvine. Baduini, C.L., Hunt Jr., G.L., Pinchuk, A.I. & Coyle, K.O. 2006.  Patterns in diet reveal foraging site fidelity of Short-tailed Shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 320: 279-292](http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v320/p279-292/). Baduini, C.L., Hyrenbach, K.D., Coyle, K.O., Pinchuk, A., Mendenhall, V, & Hunt Jr, G.L.  2001.  Mass mortality of Short-tailed Shearwaters in the south-eastern Bering Sea during summer 1997.  [*Fisheries Oceanography* 10: 117-130](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2419.2001.00156.x/abstract). Baduini, C.L., Lovvorn, J.R. & Hunt Jr., G.L., 2001.  Determining the body condition of Short-tailed Shearwaters implications for migratory flight ranges and starvation events.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 222: 265-277](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/foci/publications/2002/huntS435.pdf). Bradley, J.S. & Meathrel, C.E. 2006.  Prediction of individual reproductive success in Short-tailed Shearwaters, *Puffinus tenuirostris*.  [*Acta Zoologica Sinica* 52 (Supplement): 91-95](http://www.actazool.org/temp/%7B61E23FF3-F76C-416C-A120-96FE61B474E2%7D.pdf). Bradley, J.S., Cox, J.M., Nicholson, L.W., Wooller, R.D., Hamer, K.C. & Hill, J.K. 2000.  Parental influence upon the provisioning schedules of nestling Short-tailed Shearwaters *Puffinus tenuirostris.  [Journal of Avian Biology](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-048X.2000.310412.x/abstract)*[31: 522-526](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-048X.2000.310412.x/abstract). Bradley, J.S., Wooller, R.D. & Skira, I.J. 2000.  Intermittent breeding in the Short-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus tenuirostris*.  [*Journal of Animal Ecology* 69: 639-650](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2656.2000.00422.x/pdf). Brooke, M. [de L.] 2004. *Albatrosses and Petrels across the World*.  Oxford: Oxford University Press. Carey, M.J. 2010.  Predation of Short-tailed Shearwater eggs on Great Dog Island, Tasmania.  [*Australian Field Ornithology* 27: 59-64](http://boca.org.au/about-boca/publications/australian-field-ornithology). Carey, M.J., Meathrel, C.E. & May, N.A. 2009.  A new method for the long-term attachment of data-loggers to shearwaters (Procellariidae).  [*Emu* 109: 310-315](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU09059.htm). Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). Einoder, L.D. & Goldsworthy, S.D.  Foraging flights of Short-tailed Shearwaters (*Puffinus tenuirostris*) from Althorpe Island: assessing their use of neritic waters.  [*Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia*129: 209-216](http://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/56095). Einoder, L.D., Page, B. & Goldsworthy, S.D. 2008.  Sexual size dimorphism and assortative mating in the Short-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus tenuirostris.  [Marine Ornithology](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_167-173.pdf)*[36: 167-173](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_2/36_2_167-173.pdf). Gould, P., Ostrom. P. & Walker, W. 2000.  Foods, trophic relationships, and migration of Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters associated with squid and large-mesh driftnet fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean.  [*Waterbirds* 23: 165-186](http://www.jstor.org/pss/4641138). Hunt Jr., G.L., Baduini, C.[L.] &, Jaime Jahncke, J.  Diets of Short-tailed Shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea.  [*Deep-Sea Research* *II* 49: 6147-6156](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/foci/publications/2002/huntS435.pdf). Ito, S. 2001  Foraging areas of Short-tailed Shearwaters during their northward migration along the Pacific coast of northern Japan.  [*Ornithological Science* 1: 159-162](http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/osj/japanese/katsudo/Journal_E/ornsci1_1pdfs/os010210.pdf). Lovvorn, J.R., Baduini, C.L. & Hunt Jr., G.L. 2001.  Modeling underwater visual and filter feeding by planktivorous shearwaters in unusual sea conditions.  [*Ecology*82: 2342-2356](http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/0012-9658%282001%29082%5B2342%3AMUVAFF%5D2.0.CO%3B2). Meathrel, C.E. & Carey, M.J. 2007.  How important are intrinsic factors to natal recruitment in Short-tailed Shearwaters *Puffinus tenuirostris*?  [*Journal of Ornithology* 148 (Suppl. 2): S385-S393](http://www.springerlink.com/content/j0065176w677g8qm/fulltext.pdf). Saffer, V.M., Bradley, .J.S, Wooller, R.D. & Meathrel, C.E. 2000.  Patterns of growth in nestling Short-tailed Shearwaters *Puffinus tenuirostris.  [Emu](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU9711.htm)*[100: 42-48](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU9711.htm). Saffer, V.M., Bradley, J.S., Wooller, R.D. & Meathrel, C.E . 2000.  The effect of human activity on the growth rates of Short-tailed Shearwater *Puffinus tenuirostris* chicks.  [*Emu* 100: 49-53](http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU9712.htm). Uhlmann, S. 2001.  Incidental takes of Sooty (*Puffinus griseus*) and Short-tailed Shearwaters (*P. tenuirostris*) in fisheries.  MSc thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin. Uhlmann, S.  2003.  Fisheries bycatch mortalities of Sooty Shearwaters (*Puffinus griseus*) and Short-tailed Shearwaters (*P. tenuirostris*).  [*Department of Conservation* *Science Internal Series* 92: 1-52](http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/DSIS92.pdf). With thanks to Cheryl Baduini and Mark Carey for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/recent-studies-on-short-tailed-shearwaters.md) ## Fifth International Albatross and Petrel Conference in New Zealand in 2012: dates and venue announced The Fifth International Conference on the Biology and Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (IAPC5) will be held in the [Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa](http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/default.aspx ) on the waterfront of Wellington, New Zealand over the period Monday 13 to Friday 17 August 2012. The organization of IAPC5 will be lead by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research ([NIWA](http://www.niwa.co.nz/home)).  The current contact person for the conference is Dr David Thompson at [d.thompson@niwa.co.nz](mailto:d.thompson@niwa.co.nz). It is intended to have four days of oral and poster sessions with a mid-week break for local outings.  Plans are also being made for pre- and/or post-conference excursions to view procellariiform seabirds at sea. The museum has modern facilities for conferences and catering with a well-equipped [lecture theatre](http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/ConferencesAndFunctions/VenueHire/Pages/SoundingsTheatre.aspx) that can seat over 300 delegates.  Te Papa also incorporates an art gallery that holds the national art collection and mounts regular exhibitions, two cafes and several souvenir shops. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White-capped Albatross nest byDavid Thompson.jpg "White-capped Albatross. Photograph by David Thompson") The four previous International Albatross and Petrel Conferences were held in Hobart, Australia in 1995, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (2000), Montevideo, Uruguay (2004) and in Cape Town, South Africa (2008). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/you-read-it-here-first-the-fifth-albatross-and-petrel-conference-to-be-held-in-new-zealand-in-2012) for the first conference announcement. With thanks to David Thompson, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 November 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/fifth-international-albatross-and-petrel-conference-in-new-zealand-in-2012-dates-and-venue-announced.md) ## Third regional ACAP implementation plan produced for the South Atlantic Three island groups, Tristan da Cunha, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)* and South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)*, in the South Atlantic region are breeding range states for 12 of the 29 species currently listd by ACAP, three of which are breeding endemics in the Tristan da Cunha islands. Two regional action plans for these island groups have been previously published electronically, for the Tristan da Cunha group (including Gough Island) and for the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)* (to access [click here](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4374)). The third ACAP Implementation Plan for South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* ([click here](http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/pub10_S.Georgia_S.SandwichIslandACAPplan.pdf) for the PDF) summarises the current status of ACAP-related work in the island group, and provides a prioritised programme of future work.  Each of the main sections of the plan includes a summary of ACAP requirements, which have been drawn from the text of the Agreement and its Action Plan, an overview of current work related to these requirements, and a list of recommended actions. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/wandering_albatross_prion_island_anton_wolfaardt.jpg "Wandering Albatross breeding on Prion Island. Photograph by Anton Wolfaardt") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/tristan-da-cunha-approves-an-acap-implementation-plan) for an earlier news story with a link to the Tristan da Cunha implementation plan. With thanks to Anton Wolfaardt for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 1 December 2010* *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. [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/third-regional-acap-implementation-plan-produced-for-the-south-atlantic.md) ## Biologging4 Symposium to have a keynote lecture on reducing seabird mortality in pelagic longline fisheries [Biologging4](http://www.cmar.csiro.au/biologging4/index.htm), the Fourth International Science Symposium on Bio-logging, along with associated workshops will to be held in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia over 12-18 March 2011.  "Bio-logging" refers to the application of electronic recording devices to animals. The Fourth International Science Symposium on Bio-logging aims to: Advance the use of bio-logging technology to understand the behaviour, physiology and ecology of animals and their place in the environment, including the effects of climate change. Promote diversity, quality, originality and cross-disciplinary partnerships in the development of observation systems that integrate biological, ecological, physiological and physical data. The symposium, to be made up of series of [theme sessions](http://www.cmar.csiro.au/biologging4/sessions.htm) with oral and poster presentations and a number of [workshops](http://www.cmar.csiro.au/biologging4/workshops.htm), has as one of its [keynote speakers](http://www.cmar.csiro.au/biologging4/keynote.htm) Dr Graham Robertson of the [Australian Antarctic Division](http://www.antarctica.gov.au )who for some years has recently been conducting research on reducing seabird mortality in longline fisheries as summarized on the Biologging web site: "Attracted by the conservation imperative, in the early 1990s he broadened his horizons to include research with longline fishing industries on methods to reduce their impact on migratory seabirds.  His principal endeavour is to develop science-based solutions to the problem of seabird mortality in longline fisheries and embed findings in conservation measures/regulation.  He has conducted research on all the longline fishing methods in the world that endanger seabirds - demersal autoline, demersal Spanish system and pelagic.  In 2004 he was awarded a Pew Fellowship to research seabird avoidance methods with the Spanish method of deep water longlining.  In 2007 he switched to pelagic longline fisheries.  He has completed numerous experiments to expedite gear sink rates and is currently working with an Australian engineering company to develop an underwater bait-setting system for tuna and swordfish fisheries.  That research will come to a head in the spring of 2010 when he will complete a proof-of-concept experiment off Uruguay under worse-case scenario conditions for seabirds." [![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_03_Fig2.jpg)](http://www.cmar.csiro.au/biologging4/index.htm) [Click here](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news-archive/2009/international-award-for-seabird-saving-device) and [here](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news-archive/2004/australian-scientist-wins-prestigious-international-research-award) for more news on Graham Robertson's longline mitigation research. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/biologging4-symposium-to-have-a-keynote-lecture-on-reducing-seabird-mortality-in-pelagic-longline-fisheries.md) ## Another ACAP exclusive, and another Short-tailed Albatross nest in Hawaii It appears that Hawaii is becoming a hot destination for Short-tailed Albatrosses *Phoebastria albatrus* in 2010. Despite numerous sightings of this species in the Hawaiian Archipelago over the last several decades, there are no records (either historically, or in the fossil record) of the species breeding in Hawaii.  This changed on 31 October this year when an occupied Short-tailed Albatross (STAL) nest was discovered on Kure Atoll ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-short-tailed-albatross-mate-returns-to-its-nest-on-kure-atoll-hawaii) to follow news of the Kure nest on this web site).  However, despite the presence of two birds at the nest, the fact that two eggs were laid strongly suggests a female-female pair - which has a lower likelihood of laying fertile eggs, particularly since a male has not yet been observed on the island. A nest belonging to an assumed male-female pair of Short-tailed Albatrosses has now been discovered on Midway Atoll, the next closest island to Kure Atoll. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/short-tailed_albatross_male_midway_john_klavitter.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross (assumed male) incubating on Eastern Island, Midway. Photograph by John Klavitter") On the afternoon of 16 November 2010, John Klavitter, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff member, observed an adult-plumaged Short-tailed Albatross incubating a freshly-laid egg on Midway's Eastern Island, the uninhabited portion of the atoll.  The bird was located in the centre of the STAL decoy plot which was initiated in 2000.  A total of 42 lifelike models of STALs, initially boosted with recorded calls, were set up after a single STAL had been regularly returning to the site in the hope they would attract more birds, and it appears that the effort has paid off. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/short-tailed_albatross_ male_incubating_with_decoys_eastern_is_midway_ nov_2010_ john_klavitter.jpg "The presumed male Short-tailed Albatross incubating among decoys on Eastern Island, Midway, November 2010. Photograph by John Klavitter") The adult-plumaged bird incubating the egg is a presumed male that has been returning to the site annually since 2000 and was banded (130-01819) as a fledgling on Japan's Torishima Island in 1987.  In 2007 the presumed female of the pair, banded (3B2411) as a fledgling in 2003 on Torishima and still in sub-adult plumage, began returning to Midway and both birds have been observed displaying together and preening each other each year since then.  In 2009 they arrived in October and built a nest cup, but no egg was ever observed.  Although the female of the pair has not yet been observed this season, it is assumed that she is the individual that laid the egg.  The plot was not monitored from 6-15 November this year and it is thought that the female STAL arrived during this period to lay. Whereas the sexes are not easily distinguishable in this species, refuge staff members are relatively confident in their assignment of sexes of this pair based on the fact that the adult-plumaged bird seems large and has never laid an egg since it was first seen in 2000, and that the sub-adult plumaged bird appears smaller in comparison.  Slight morphological size differences between the sexes have been recorded in this species. A single female laid and then abandoned infertile eggs close to Frigate Point on Sand Island, Midway Atoll from 1989-2001 (and was last seen there in 2003), but there was no indication of a male ever attending the nest site ([click here](http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/pdfs/02-Galliformes-Procellariiformes/STAL.pdf)).  Sightings of Short-tailed Albatrosses on Midway begun as early as 1938 and from 1965-2009 at least 16 different individuals have been recorded ashore.  In recent years, up to four individuals have been seen on the atoll at any given time.  Sporadic sightings of Short-tailed Albatrosses have also been made at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Laysan Island, French Frigate Shoals and twice on Kauai in recent years, all islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago. This web site will keep you posted on when the second Midway bird arrives, and on the eventual outcome of this first definite breeding attempt for the Short-tailed Albatross within the Hawaii Archipelago and in the USA. For information on records of Short-tailed Albatrosses within the Hawaiian Islands visit: Pyle, R.L. & Pyle, P. 2009.  *The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status*.  Honolulu: B.P. Bishop Museum.  Version 1 (31 December 2009).  [http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/](http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/). With thanks to John Klavitter, Acting Refuge Manager, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for photos and information. *Lindsay Young, ACAP North Pacific News Correspondent, 3 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/another-acap-exclusive-and-another-short-tailed-albatross-nest-in-hawaii.md) ## ACAP's Executive Secretary to attend next week's meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Hawaii The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ([WCPFC](http://www.wcpfc.int/)) will hold its [7th Regular Session](http://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/2010/7th-regular-session-commission) from 6 - 10 December 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA ([click here](http://www.wcpfc.int/node/3161) for the meeting's provisional agenda).  The Albatross and Petrel Agreement will be represented at the meeting by its Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth. At the meeting the Executive Secretary will seek support for a proposal to improve data collection in areas identified as hotspots for seabird-fishery interactions within the WCPFC region. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_05_Fig1.jpg) [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-commission-to-consider-how-to-reduce-seabird-mortality) for an earlier ACAP news item on activities relating to seabird bycatch by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/acaps-executive-secretary-to-attend-next-weeks-meeting-of-the-western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-commission-in-hawaii.md) ## PhD opportunity. Individual foraging specialisation and seabird fishery interactions: implications for albatross conservation One of the most pervasive impacts of commercial capture fisheries is the accidental death of huge numbers of marine predators, which become entangled in fishing gear when scavenging for food in the form of fisheries waste.  This mortality (termed bycatch) is unsustainable and has drastically reduced populations of many apex marine predators.  Understanding and mitigating the impacts of bycatch mortality is an issue of global conservation concern, and forms the central thesis of this PhD studentship. The studentship, funded by the [MARES Doctoral Programme on Marine Ecosystem Health & Conservation](http://www.mares-eu.org/index.asp?p=900&a=900), will focus on individual-level tactics of Campbell *Thalassarche impavida* and Grey-headed *T. chrysostoma* Albatrosses in relation to environmental conditions and commercial fisheries activity.  Scaling these individual-level behaviours to population-level processes will require knowledge of both behavioural ecology and conservation biology. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/C/Campbell/Campbell Albatross flying by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Campbell Albatross. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") The student will be based at the [Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre](http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=28521), University of Plymouth, UK with Dr Stephen Votier, but will be expected to spend at least six months at the Ecology of Birds & Marine Mammals Group, [Centre d'Etudes Biologique de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/), France with Dr Henri Weimerskirch.  Fieldwork will be conducted on Campbell Island, New Zealand where the student will work closely with Dr David Thompson at the [National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research](http://www.niwa.co.nz), Wellington, New Zealand. Applications must be physically and mentally able to spend long periods in remote conditions in the sub-Antarctic and hold a Master's level qualification in biology or a related subject.  Applicants should carefully read the MARES web site to determine whether they are eligible to apply, and if they are, to submit applications by 15 January 2011.  Contact Stephen Votier ([stephen.votier@plymouth.ac.uk](mailto:stephen.votier@plymouth.ac.uk)) for informal discussions. [Click here](http://www.mares-eu.org/userfiles/MARES/files/MARES_2010_PhD_Catalogue.pdf ) and scroll to Project MARES-27-2010 for full information on this PhD opportunity. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/phd-opportunity-individual-foraging-specialisation-and-seabird-fishery-interactions-implications-for-albatross-conservation.md) ## Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Scientific Committee to discuss seabird mortality this week The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission's Scientific Committee is meeting this week in Victoria, Seychelles when seabird-fishery interactions are expected to be discussed ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-indian-ocean-tuna-commission-makes-slow-progress-with-changing-its-seabird-bycatch-resolution) for a previous ACAP story on the IOTC's efforts to reduce seabird mortality by pelagic longliners). A draft document (IOTC-2010-SC-08)to be tabled at the meeting, entitled "Executive Summary of the Status of Seabirds", may be found at [http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/sc/IOTC-2010-SC-08%20[E+F].pdf](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/sc/IOTC-2010-SC-08%20%5bE+F%5d.pdf). [Click here](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/sc/IOTC-2010-SC-01[E].pdf ) for the meeting's agenda. The [Australian National Report](http://www.iotc.org/files/proceedings/2010/sc/IOTC-2010-SC-Inf01.pdf) to the IOTC Scientific Committee details Australian efforts to reduce seabird mortality and reports only two birds (a yellow-nosed albatross *Thalassarche* sp. and a Flesh-footed Shearwater *Puffinus carneipes*) hooked in its Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery in 2009. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_browed/Black_Browed_Albatross_dead_by_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatross: a victim of longlining. Photograph by Graham Robertson") *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/indian-ocean-tuna-commissions-scientific-committee-to-discuss-seabird-mortality-this-week.md) ## Food and Agriculture Organization discusses international guidelines for bycatch management this week in Rome The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ([FAO](http://www.fao.org)) is holding a technical consultation over five days this week in Rome, Italy to discuss and "further develop the concept and text" of the draft **International Guidelines for Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards**. The document provides a draft of international guidelines for bycatch management and reduction of discards that was prepared following an FAO Expert Consultation held in 2009.  The draft guidelines are intended to provide assistance to all States and RFMOs in implementing the [FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries](http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/v9878e/v9878e00.HTM) for the specific purpose of managing bycatch and reducing discards. [Click here](http://www.fao.org/fishery/nems/39480/en) to access information on the technical consultation and access its working papers. The draft guidelines may be found at [http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/019/k8937e.pdf](http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/019/k8937e.pdf). It is intended that the guidelines are to be "interpreted and applied in conformity and accordance with appropriate bycatch measures addressed in the FAO's **International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries** ([IPOA-Seabirds](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en))." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_12_Fig1.jpg) The Albatross and Petrel Agreement is being represented at the consultation by the Convenor of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Barry Baker. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/food-and-agriculture-organization-discusses-international-guidelines-for-bycatch-management-this-week-in-rome.md) ## All change at Midway's Short-tailed Albatross nest: the female returns to incubate The following report comes from John Klavitter, Acting  Reserve Manager, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. "In the morning of December 1, 2010, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) volunteers checked the Short-tailed Albatross (STAL) [*Phoebastria albatrus*] nest on Eastern Island, Midway Atoll that was first observed on November 16, 2010 with an adult male STAL (band 130-01819) incubating the egg.  The pair had traded off incubation duties and the female (intermediate phase plumage, 7 years old, band 3B2411) was observed incubating the egg.  This is the first sighting of the female this year, although only limited trips have been made to Eastern Island and the STAL decoy plot area.  This is very exciting and lends additional hope that the female was present on Eastern Island from approximately November 6 to 15, 2010, copulated with the male, and laid the egg.  USFWS staff and volunteers will continue to monitor the nest daily with the use of a remote video camera that has just become operational.  The camera is a collaboration between USFWS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Andy Collins, Honolulu, HI), and SeeMore Wildlife Systems (Konrad Schaad, Homer, AK).  Real-time video can be viewed on a monitor from a location on Sand Island.  At present, footage cannot be recorded or made available on the internet, although this will be possible in the future." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/short-tailed_albatross_midway_female2_sarah_gutowsky.jpg) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/short-tailed_albatross_midway_female_sarah_gutowsky.jpg "Midway's female Short-tailed Albatross incubating among decoys. Photograph by Sarah Gutowsky") [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/another-acap-exclusive-and-another-short-tailed-albatross-nest-in-hawaii) for earlier news on this breeding attempt, the first known male-female STAL breeding attempt on USA soil (and to view photos of the female's partner on the nest). [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-short-tailed-albatross-mate-returns-to-its-nest-on-kure-atoll-hawaii) to follow this season's Short-tailed Albatross female-female pair on Kure Atoll. With thanks to John Klavitter and Lindsay Young for information *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 8 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/all-change-at-midways-short-refuge-managertailed-albatross-nest-the-female-returns-to-incubate.md) ## Cape Verde Shearwater: a little studied species at risk from human exploitation The [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=30221) Cape Verde Shearwater *Calonectris edwardsii* is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, off the Atlantic coast of Africa.  Along with eight other shearwaters of the genus *Puffinus* and *Calonectris* it has been identified by ACAP as a potential candidate for listing within the Agreement (Cooper & Baker 2008, Cooper 2010). The Cape Verde Shearwater's population has been estimated as only 10 000 pairs and is suspected to be decreasing.  It faces threats from exploitation of chicks for human consumption (up to 5000 annually, although uncontrolled exploitation may have been largely halted in the last two years) and potentially at least from longline fishing mortality, although evidence appears lacking (Nunes & Hazevoet 2001, Cooper *et al.* 2003, Brooke 2004). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Cape_Verde/cape_verde_shearwaters_curral_velho_cape_verde_jacob_gonzalez-solis.jpg "Cape Verde Shearwaters. Photograph by Jacob Gonzalez-solis") **Selected publications on Cape Verde Shearwaters, 2000-2010** Brooke, M. [de L.] 2004. *Albatrosses and Petrels across the World*.  Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cooper, J. 2010.  A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters *Calonectris* and *Puffinus*.  [ACAP AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/english/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf). Cooper, J., Baccetti, N., Belda, E.J., Borg, J.J., Oro, D., Papaconstantinou, C & Sánchez, A. 2003.  Seabird mortality from longline fishing in the Mediterranean and Macaronesian waters: a review and a way forward.  [*Scientia Marina* 67, Supplement 2: 57-64](http://www.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/7/IdNum/71/). Gómez-Díaz, E. & González-Solís, J. 2007.  Geographic assignment of seabirds to their origin: combining morphologic, genetic, and biogeochemical analyses.  [*Ecological Applications* 17: 1484-1498](http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/06-1232.1). Gómez-Díaz, E., González-Solís, J., Peinado, M.A., Page, R.D.M. 2006.  Phylogeography of *Calonectris*shearwaters using molecular and morphometric data.  [*Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution* 41: 322-332](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNH-4K0MF61-2&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=8&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236963%232006%23999589997%23634205%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6963&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=23&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=0f91ce092757653a9749393d17b65295&searchtype=a). Gómez-Díaz, E., González-Solís, J., Peinado. M.A. & Page, R.D.M. 2007.   Lack of host-dependent genetic structure in ectoparasites of *Calonectris*shearwaters.  [*Molecular Ecology* 16: 5204-5215](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03539.x/abstract). Gómez-Díaz, E., Navarro, J. & González-Solís, J. 2008.  Ectoparasite community structure on three closely related seabird hosts: a multiscale approach combining ecological and genetic data.  [*Ecography* 31: 477-489](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2008.05330.x/abstract). González-Solís, J., Felicísimo, A., Fox, J.W., Afanasyev, V., Kolbeinsson, Y. & Muñoz, J. 2009.  Influence of sea surface winds on shearwater migration detours.  [*Marine Ecology Progress Series* 391: 221-230](http://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m391p221.pdf). Lima, P.C., Grantsau, R., Lima, R.C.F.R. & dos Santos, S.S. 2002.  Notas sobre os registros brasileiros de *Calonectris edwardsii* (Oustalet, 1883) e *Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca (*Moquin-Tandon, 1841) e primero registro de *Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis* Murphy, 1936 para o Brasil.  [*Ararajuba* 10: 263-265](http://www.ararajuba.org.br/sbo/ararajuba/artigos/Volume102/ara102CBRO2.pdf). Nunes, M. & Hazevoet, C. 2001.  Cape Verde's seabirds in trouble.  *World Birdwatch* 23: 24-26. Patteson, J.B. 2004.  First record of Cape Verde Shearwater (*Calonectris edwardsii*) for North America.  [*North American Birds* 58: 469-473](https://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/NAB/v058n04/p00468-p00473.pdf). Perry, M.V., Bugoni, L. & da Silva Fonseca, V.S. 2000.  Occurrence of the Cape Verde Shearwater *Calonectris edwardsii* on the Brazilian coast.  *Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club* 120: 198-200. Ramos, R., González-Solís, J., Forero, M.G., Moreno, R., Gómez-Díaz, E., Ruiz, Z. & Hobson, K.A. 2009.  The influence of breeding colony and sex on mercury, selenium and lead levels and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures in summer and winter feathers of *Calonectris* shearwaters.  [*Oecologia* 159: 345-354](http://www.springerlink.com/content/u23l107q14022r35/fulltext.pdf). Roscales, J., Muñoz-Arnanz, J.,González-Solís, J. & Jiménez, B. 2010.  Geographical PCB and DDT patterns in shearwaters (*Calonectris* sp.) breeding across the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean archipelagos.  [*Environmental Science & Technology* 44: 2328-2334](http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es902994y). Note:  PDFs of some of the above publications may be found at [http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/publications/index.php](http://www.gonzalez-solis.com/publications/index.php). With thanks to Jacob González-Solís for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 9 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/cape-verde-shearwater-a-little-studied-species-at-risk-from-human-exploitation.md) ## An Argentinean workshop held to improve the collection of seabird data in fisheries A training capacity workshop for observers from the National Observer Programme belonging to the National Fisheries Institute in Argentina ([INIDEP](http://www.inidep.gov.ar/)) took place recently at facilities of the [Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén](http://www.macn.secyt.gov.ar/cont_ElMuseo/em_estacionquequen.php) in southern Buenos Aires Province. The three-day course was lead by Leandro Tamini ([ATF Argentina- Aves Argentinas](http://www.birdlife.org/seabirds/save-the-albatross.html#BirdLifes_Albatross_Task_Force)), Sofía Copello and Juan Pablo Seco Pon ([National University of Mar del Plata-CONICET](http://www.mdp.edu.ar/exactas/)) and took place between 30 November and 02 December 2010.  Observers were trained in following sampling protocols from albatrosses and petrels interacting with high-seas trawl and longline fishing operations in waters of the Argentine Continental Shelf. The main goal of the workshop was to improve data collection on seabird interaction and mortality in fisheries.  Observers actively participated in the course which ended with a successful field trip from the Puerto Quequén harbour aboard a small-scale fishing vessel, when at least 10 species of seabirds were spotted, including several ACAP-listed Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris* and White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Meetings/ATF/Workshop_Argentina_Leandro_Tamini.JPG "Meeting in progress. Photograph by Leandro Tamini") Argentina is one of the several South American countries that are Parties to the Agreement and which hold a great diversity and abundance of procellariiform birds within their waters. Very recently, Argentina announced the adoption of its National Plan of Action-Seabirds (NPOA-S) which was approved by the Federal Fisheries Council ([Resolution 03/2010](http://www.cfp.gov.ar/index.php?inc=resoluciones)).  The NPOA-S is framed within the FAO's IPOA-S and follows the objectives of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. *Juan Pablo Seco Pon, ACAP South American News Correspondent, 10 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/an-argentinean-workshop-held-to-improve-the-collection-of-seabird-data-in-fisheries.md) ## Australia publishes on the state of its island birds for 2010 "Since 2003 [Birds Australia](http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/) has produced an annual State of Australia's Birds (SOAB) report.  The reports collate and disseminate information on trends in bird populations to inform Australians of the status of their birds and help bring about improved understanding and better management of the land for birds and other biota.  They also provide feedback to the dedicated thousands who volunteer their time and skills to monitor birds." The [2010 SOAB report](http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/soab/state-of-australias-birds.html) deals with Australia's many islands.  The following sections of the 2010 report discuss some of the islands which support ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels or potential candidate shearwater species: **Status and conservation of the seabirds of Heard Island**by Eric Woehler. **Bird conservation, tourism and the value of monitoring: the case of Rottnest Island** by Denis Saunders **Eradicating invasive species** by Andrew Burbidge. **Island restoration: a case study of sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island** by Keith Springer. **Restoring balance on Lord Howe Island: a jewel in the Pacific** by David Priddel & Ian Hutton. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Islands/Pedra_Branca_by_Rachael_Alderman.jpg "Paedra Branca, Tasmania: breeding site of Shy Albatrosses. Photograph by Rachael Alderman") **Reference:** Kirkwood, J. & O'Connor, J. (Compilers) 2010.  The state of Australia's birds 2010 islands and birds.  [*Wingspan* 20(4): Supplement.  51 pp](http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/images/stories/publications/soab/SOAB-2010.pdf). See also [http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/12/australias-biodiversity-arks/](http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/12/australias-biodiversity-arks/). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/australia-publishes-on-the-state-of-its-island-birds-for-2010.md) ## Geographical variation in the Southern Giant Petrel supports two subspecies Marc Salomon and Jean-Francois Voisin, writing in the *Canadian Journal of Zoology*, consider that the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus* has two valid subspecies, separated on mensural grounds. The paper's abstract follows: "The Southern Giant Petrel (*Macronectes giganteus* (Gmelin, 1789); Aves, Procellariiformes), ranging from New Zealand to the Graham Peninsula and Patagonia and also from coastal Antarctica to Gough Island, displays significant geographic variation throughout its range.  Six breeding provinces were identified, which show significant interpopulational variation.  The formerly proposed subspecies *Macronectes giganteus giganteus* and *Macronectes giganteus solanderi* were confirmed.  *Macronectes giganteus solanderi* has smaller homologuous parts than *M. g. giganteus*.  Two of the provinces belong to the subspecies *M. g. solanderi*.  Females are smaller and have shorter bills than males.  In *M. g. giganteus*, outer appendages are longer in the sub-Antarctic than in the Antarctic, which is consistent with Allen's rule.  Moreover, an east-to-west cline shows a gradual decrease in body size.  Within *M. g. solanderi*, the Chubut River Estuary (Argentina) and the Falkland Islands form the southern province, and Gough Island the northern province.  The birds have shallower bills in Argentina than in the Falklands or Gough, but tarsi are longest in Gough.  *Macronectes giganteus giganteus* is morphologically polymorphic but taxonomically stable, whereas *M. g. solanderi*, which is biometrically less variable, could undergo taxonomical differentiation.  This paper gives arguments for further morphometric and genetic studies on the taxon. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant_Petrel_by_Flavio_Quintana.jpg "An Argentinian Southern Giant Petrel. Photograph by Flavio Quintana") With thanks to Jean-Francois Voisin. **Reference:** Salomon, M. & Voisin, J.-F. 2010.  Ecogeographical variation in the Southern Giant Petrel (*Macronectes giganteus**).  [Canadian Jounral of Zoology](http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?calyLang=eng&journal=cjz&volume=88&year=0&issue=2&msno=z09-134)*[ 88: 195-203](http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?calyLang=eng&journal=cjz&volume=88&year=0&issue=2&msno=z09-134). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/geographical-variation-in-the-southern-giant-petrel-supports-two-subspecies.md) ## Ross Sea longline fishery for Antarctic Toothfish attains Marine Stewardship Council certification Last month the Ross Sea Longline Fishery for Antarctic Toothfish *Dissostichus mawsoni* was certified as sustainable by the [Marine Stewardship Council](http://www.msc.org).  Currently seven vessels are involved in the fishery setting bottom longlines ([click here](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/southern-ocean/ross-sea-toothfish-longline)). "The fishery operates within the Ross Sea Ecosystem of the Southern Ocean.  All fishing activity is overseen by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources ([CCAMLR](http://www.ccamlr.org/)) and all vessels operating in the area must comply with CCAMLR and individual flag state requirements.  Management rules and practices closely follow precautionary and ecosystem-based principles.  Catch levels and other conservation measures are agreed by CCAMLR, based on the advice of their scientific committee, and accredited observers monitor compliance with these measures onboard each vessel." "Management of this fishery follows precautionary and ecosystem-based principles.  Strict harvest control rules, annual stock assessments, mandatory observation of fishing activities and **controls on gear to avoid by-catch of seabirds** are just some of the practical outcomes of that approach, recognised and rewarded by this certification." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Light_mantled/Light-mantled sooty albatross by Aleks Terauds.jpg "Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses. Photograph by Aleks Terauds") Quotes above taken from [http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/ross-sea-toothfish-longline-fishery-gains-msc-certification/?searchterm=Ross Sea](http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/ross-sea-toothfish-longline-fishery-gains-msc-certification/?searchterm=Ross Sea). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/ross-sea-longline-fishery-for-antarctic-toothfish-attains-marine-stewardship-council-certification.md) ## French researcher awarded doctorate for study of senescence in Wandering Albatrosses and Snow Petrels Vincent Lecomte has this year been awarded the degree of Docteur de l'Universite de Poitiers for his study of the effects of senescence in two long-lived seabirds, the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans* and the Snow Petrel *Pagodroma nivea*. The English abstract for the thesis (which has been written in French) follows: "**Ageing in the wild: a multidisciplinary approach in two long-lived seabirds, the Wandering Albatross and the Snow Petrel** Very little is known on the deterioration of physiological and behavioural performances with age in wild animals.  Given the multifaceted nature of senescence, identifying the effects of age on physiology and behaviour remains a challenging.  We investigated the effects of age on a broad array of phenotypic traits in two long-lived seabirds, the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans*(age 2-48+ years; Ile de la Possession, Southern Indian Ocean) and the Snow Petrel *Pagodroma nivea*(age 7-46 years; Terre Adelie, Antarctica).  We studied foraging behaviour using satellite tracking and miniaturized activity loggers, and monitored reproductive performance.  An array of phenotypic traits (immune function, levels of oxidative stress, antioxidant defenses, baseline hormonal levels, endocrine and cardiac stress responses) known to reflect senescence in vertebrates was also examined.  In Wandering Albatrosses, there was age related patterns in foraging behaviour, stress response and reproductive performance, but not in baseline physiology.  There was an unexpected pattern of spatial segregation by age in the foraging areas of male albatrosses.  Old males, but not females, travelled a greater distance but were less active at the sea surface, and exhibited low foraging efficiency, suggesting that foraging ability (i.e. the ability of individuals to extract energy from their environment) might play a central role in shaping ageing patterns in natural conditions.  Moreover, the stress response of non-breeding males, but not breeding males, was affected by age, suggesting that age-related patterns are enhanced when individuals face ‘challenging' conditions.  In contrast, there was no detectable effect of age in females, suggesting that senescence rates are sex-specific in wild seabirds, as in humans an in laboratory model animals.  In Snow Petrels, there was no detectable effect of age on PHA-induced immune response, PHA-induced hormone levels, chick growth or chick physiology, suggesting that physiological senescence is difficult to detect in this very long-lived seabird.  Overall, our results highlight that age, gender, reproductive status and foraging ability interact in shaping ageing patterns in natural conditions, and suggest that long-lived seabirds maintain a high level of physiological fitness in old age, which supports the *disposable soma theory*." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper.jpg "An elderly (28 years+) male Wandering Albatross with its chick at Marion Island. Photographed in 2005 by John Cooper") Lecomte, V.J.2010.  La sénescence en milieu naturel: une étude pluridisciplinaire chez deux oiseaux marins longévifs, le Grand Albatros et le Pétrel des Neiges.  Thèse de Doctorat, Université de Poitiers, France.  268 pp.  [http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Lecomte.pdf](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/Fthese/PUBLI/Lecomte.pdf). For a co-authored paper published from his thesis by Vincent Lecomte [click here](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/2010/2010_LPNAS107.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/french-researcher-awarded-doctorate-for-study-of-senescence-in-wandering-albatrosses-and-snow-petrels.md) ## Malta reports on its EU LIFE project on Yelkouan Shearwaters The [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3937) Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* of the Mediterranean is one of nine potential candidate shearwaters that have been identified for listing within the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. The EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project managed by [BirdLife Malta](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/) over the period 2006-2010 has recently published its final report (Borg *et al.* 2010), available for down-loading at [http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/154.pdf](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/154.pdf). The report summarizes activities conducted over the four years which include drafting a management plan, initiating rat eradication, controlling disturbance and exploitation, running an awareness campaign, monitoring breeding and conducting at-sea tracking. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Yelkouan/Yelkouan_Shearwater_Matthew_ Borg_Cardona.JPG "Yelkouan Shearwater. Photograph by Matthew Borg Cardona") As well as Malta, France has also been active in conducting conservation-oriented research on Yelkouan Shearwaters ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-yelkouan-shearwater-of-the-mediterranean-gets-relief-from-feral-cats-on-frances-port-cros-island) and view publications of the last decade listed below). **Selected publications on Yelkouan Shearwaters, 2000-2010** Bonnaud, E., Bourgeois, K., Vidal, E., Kayser, Y., Tranchant, Y. & Legrand, J. 2007.  Feeding ecology of a feral cat population on a small Mediterranean island.  [*Journal of Mammalogy* 88: 1074-1081](http://www.asmjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1644/06-MAMM-A-031R2.1). Bonnaud, E., Bourgeois, K., Vidal, E., Legrand, J. & Le Corre, M. 2009.  How can Yelkouan Shearwater survive feral cat predation?  An unexpected population structure as a solution?  [*Population Ecology* 51: 261-270](http://www.springerlink.com/content/y10m53225r513p2u/). Bonnaud, E., Zarzoso-Lacoste, D., Bourgeois, K., Ruffino, L., Legrand, J. & Vidal, E. 2010.  Top-predator control on islands boosts endemic prey but not mesopredator.  *Animal Conservation*.  [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00376.x](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00376.x/abstract).  [Borg, J.J. & J. Sultana. 2002.  Status and distribution of the breeding Procellariiformes in Malta.  *il-Merill*30: 10-15.](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/32.pdf) Borg, J.J., Raine, H., Raine, A.F. & Barbara, N. 2010.  *Protecting Malta's wind chaser: the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project*.  Malta: EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project.  30 pp. [http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/154.pdf](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/154.pdf) [Borg, J.J., J. Sultana, & C. Coleiro. 2002.  Pre-breeding movements and early nest visits by the Levantine Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* in Malta.  *il-Merill* 30: 20-23.](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/31.pdf) Bourgeois, K. 2006.  Ecologie, biologie et conservation d'un oiseau marin endémique de Méditerranée *Puffinus yelkouan*.  PhD thesis, Université Aix-Marseille 3. Bourgeois, K. & Vidal, E. 2007.  Yelkouan Shearwater nest cavity selection and breeding success. *Comptes Rendus Biologies* 330: 205-214. Bourgeois, K. & Vidal, E. 2008.  The endemic Mediterranean Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan*: distribution, threats and a plea for more data.  [*Oryx* 42: 187-194](http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1832764). Bourgeois, K., Dromzée, S., Vidal, E. & Legrand, J. 2008.  Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* presence and behaviour at colonies: not only a moonlight question.  [*Comptes Rendus Biologies* 331: 88-97](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6X1F-4N0GDWK-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=4&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%237241%232007%23996699996%23649282%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=7241&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=13&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=0eb49e8f9ce6af23fdaa2d19dd98c29f&searchtype=a). Bourgeois, K., Vidal, E., Comor, V., Legrand, J. & Dromzee, S. 2008.  Colony-site selection drives management priorities for Yelkouan Shearwater populations.  [*Journal of Wildlife Management* 72: 1188-1193](http://www.wildlifejournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.2193%2F2007-052). Brooke M. [deL.] 2004.  Albatrosses and petrels across the World.  Oxford: Oxford University Press. Conéjéro, S & Beaubrun, P. 2000.  Cory's Shearwater *Calonectris diomedea* and Levantine Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* (Procellariidae) in the Gulf of Lion during July 1994.  In: Yésou, P. & Sultana, J. 2000.  *Monitoring and Conservation of Birds, Mammals and Sea Turtles of the Mediterranean and Black Seas*.  *Proceedings of the 5th Medmaravis Symposium Gozo, Malta*.  Malta: Environment Protection Department.  pp.  104-105. [http://www.medmaravis.org/Monitoring.html](http://www.medmaravis.org/Monitoring.html) Cooper, J., Baccetti, N., Belda, E.J., Borg, J.J., Oro, D., Papaconstantinou, C & Sánchez, A. 2003.  Seabird mortality from longline fishing in the Mediterranean and Macaronesian waters: a review and a way forward.  [*Scientia Marina* 67, Supplement 2: 57-64](http://www.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/7/IdNum/71/). [Dimech, M., Darmanin, M,. Caruana, R. & Raine, H. 2008.  Preliminary data on seabird by-catch in Maltese waters (central Mediterranean)](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/uploads/items/124.pdf).  International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Standard Committee on Research and Statistics. SCRS/2008/027.  7 pp.  Heidrich, P., Amengual, J., Ristow, D. & Wink, M. 2000.  Phylogenetic relationships among the Procellariiformes based on nucleotide sequences, with special consideration of the Mediterranean and North Atlantic shearwaters.  In: Yésou, P. & Sultana, J. 2000.  *Monitoring and Conservation of Birds, Mammals and Sea Turtles of the Mediterranean and Black Seas*.  *Proceedings of the 5th Medmaravis Symposium Gozo, Malta*.  Malta: Environment Protection Department.  pp. 159-175. [http://www.medmaravis.org/Monitoring.html](http://www.medmaravis.org/Monitoring.html) To learn more about French and Maltese efforts to conserve the Yelkouan Shearwater visit: [http://www.puffin-hyeres.org/](http://www.puffin-hyeres.org/english.htm) [http://www.birdlifemalta.org/conservation/LIFE_project/](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/conservation/LIFE_project/) [http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/](http://www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt/) With thanks to Nicholas Barbara, Conservation & Policy Officer, BirdLife Malta and Elsa Bonnaud, Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Canary Islands for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/malta-reports-on-its-eu-life-project-on-yelkouan-shearwaters.md) ## Book Review: "Marion and Prince Edward: Africa's Southern Islands": home to albatrosses and petrels **Book Review: Marion and Prince Edward: Africa's Southern Islands, by Aleks Terauds, John Cooper, Steven L. Chown and Peter Ryan, published by [SUN PReSS](http://www.sun-e-shop.co.za/?Task=moreinfo&SKU=978%2D1%2D920338%2D42%2D8), Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.  ISBN: 978-1-920338-42-8, hard-cover with dust-jacket, full colour throughout its 176 pages.** It was a pleasure to review this beautiful book.  Although the focus of this review is ACAP-listed species, one cannot avoid perusing the entire book and we include some general comments. Basic features: the book is divided into six chapters, each of which has several subdivisions.  After the dedication, technical pages, table of contents and acknowledgements, the scene is set for readers with an obligatory Introduction.  From here the flow of chapters moves from the physical environment to human history, flora, fauna, and closes with the authors' views on various aspects of the islands' future.  There follows a very abridged ‘Further Reading' and a somewhat eclectic selection of eight bibliographic references.  The book ends usefully with an Index, and list of photographic credits that are not given in the text.  The back, inner fold of the dust jacket gives a short biography of the authors. What immediately captivates is the excellent quality and size of the images, portraying the islands as seen today and taken by superb photographers.  One is hard-pressed to find a single page lacking vibrant imagery.  Of more subtle and very beautiful detail are the illustrations by Elizabeth Poulsom, at the beginning of chapters and scattered throughout the book.  The layout is pleasingly constructed with eye-catching fonts and textured, colour backgrounds to text pages for each new chapter and used judiciously throughout the book to break the monotony of black text on white background. Each chapter is introduced on a double page with a large scenic image on one side and an almost poetic synthesis of what lies ahead on the other.  The book is a feast for the eyes. The text is factual and in some places a bit too technical or "jargonized".  Considering the volumes of scientific literature on the islands, the authors have produced a highly informative, but easy read.  It's no mean feat to produce entertaining reading, of what may, to some, seem rather dry subjects such as soils, a flora with a scarcity of showy flowers or a landscape dominated by browns and greens. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Wandering_Albatross_by_John_Cooper2.jpg "Wandering Albatross and chick on Marion Island, with Prince Edward Island 21 km away. Photograph by John Cooper") The chapter"Abundance of animal life" has two sections dealing with ACAP-listed species, but also covers other birds, all marine mammals, and the impact of invasive fauna on the islands.  The imagery is dominated by portraits of birds on land, but does justice to their habits, habitats and beauty.  Nine ACAP species (five albatrosses and four petrels) breed on the Prince Edward Islands.  The albatrosses are dealt with by genus, starting with the Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans*, the two *Phoebetria*species and then the two *Thalassarche*species.  Each account runs through some basics of the biology, descriptions of key physical characteristics, and their approximate distributions on the two islands.  Readers are given population estimates that are usefully put into a global context.  The details are as factually accurate and digestible as a coffee-table book should be, although a slightly jarring feature was the choice of the slightly dated common names for the sooty albatrosses.  The popular appeal of the albatrosses is tacitly acknowledged when one compares the short shrift given to the dozen other procellariiforms.  In all fairness, however, the invariability of their life-history traits (or our lack of understanding thereof), absence of good population estimates and general paucity of facts that might interest the non-specialist make their condensed treatment entirely rational.  The focus is rather on the impacts that feral cats (now removed) once had on the burrowing petrels and on Marion Island's ecosystem. In summary the book is a glorious celebration of two extraordinary islands and their astonishing biodiversity.  For laypeople with a continental perspective, it will provide an inspirational glimpse of this atypical ‘African' environment.  It is a must-have for those with a fascination for islands, a connection with the Southern Ocean or a passion for albatrosses and petrels and their breeding islands!  *Andrea Angel and Ross M. Wanless, 16 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/book-review-qmarion-and-prince-edward-africas-southern-islandsq-home-to-albatrosses-and-petrels.md) ## White-chinned Petrels from French Kerguelen Island overlap with Southern Ocean longline fisheries Karine Delord of the [Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/GB_index.htm), France and colleagues have studied the spatial relationships between White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* breeding at Kerguelen and longline fisheries in the Southern Ocean, publishing their findings this month in the journal *[Endangered Species Research](http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/).* The paper's abstract follows: "Incidental seabird mortality associated with longline commercial fishing is a worldwide conservation concern.  To develop conservation strategies, it is essential to estimate the likelihood of seabird bycatch and the degree of overlap between birds' foraging grounds and commercial fishing areas.  We tracked 21 adult White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis*breeding on Kerguelen Island, southern Indian Ocean, during their breeding period in 2006 and in 2008.  At-sea foraging distribution of White-chinned Petrels was mainly confined to Antarctic waters.  Commercial longline fisheries targeting toothfish were operating in both the French Exclusive Economic Zone and in other Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources areas during the study.  We analysed concurrent data on the positions of both birds and vessels to estimate overlap.  Static analysis using indices (home-range and utilization distribution overlap) revealed that, at a large scale, spatial and temporal overlap occurred, but varied among areas and with breeding stage.  Dynamic analysis (detection of operating vessels respective to bird locations within a time/space window) revealed little overlap at a small scale.  Our study revealed a mismatch between large- and small-scale overlap estimates, suggesting that birds and vessels occupy the same overall zone with infrequent co-occurrence (19% of birds in the vicinity of vessels).  This result was confirmed by the relatively low occurrence of fishery-related items (4 to 22%) in chick food samples.  However, given the large size of seabird populations, overall, large numbers of birds overlap with vessels, and management authorities should maintain and promote the implementation of strict mitigation measures to further reduce bycatch." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/white_chinned_petrel_hooked_by nicolas_gasco.jpg "White-chinned Petrel: victim of longlining. Photograph by Nicolas Gasco") **Reference:** Delord, K., Cotté, C., Péron, C., Marteau, M., Pruvost, P., Gasco, N., Duhamel, G., Cherel, Y. & Weimerskirch, H. 2010.  At-sea distribution and diet of an endangered top predator: relationship between White-chinned Petrels and commercial longline fisheries.  [*Endangered Species Research* 13: 1-16](http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr_oa/n013p001.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/white-chinned-petrels-from-french-kerguelen-island-overlap-with-southern-ocean-longline-fisheries.md) ## Bird Exclusion Devices (BEDs) save seabirds from longline hauls in the Southern Ocean E. Reid of the [BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme](http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/seabirds/ ) based at [Birds Australia](http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/) and colleagues have recently published in the latest issue of the journal *[CCAMLR Science](http://www.ccamlr.org/ccamlr_science/intro.htm)* on recommended methods (Bird Exclusion Devices or BEDs) used to reduce mortality of Southern Ocean albatrosses and petrels during the hauling of longlines. The paper's abstract follows: "In recent years there has been an increased focus on reducing seabird captures that occur during hauling in CCAMLR longline fisheries.  Haul captures were first recognised by CCAMLR as a problem as early as 1994/95 when steps were taken to reduce the attraction of seabirds to vessels during the hauling process.  Since 2003, increased efforts have been made to improve the design and performance of bird exclusion devices (BEDs) placed around the hauling bay.  Data collected by scientific observers since 2003 suggest that there are two key aspects of effective BEDs, firstly that they provide a deterrent to seabirds landing adjacent to the line as it is being hauled, and secondly that seabirds are deterred from swimming or ‘jumping' into the area around the hauling bay.  Based on this analysis, CCAMLR incorporated these two key functional characteristics into the specification." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_12_Fig2.jpg) The Brickle Curtain is an early Bird Exclusion Device used during longline hauling **Reference:** Reid, E., Sullivan, B. & Clark, J.  2010.  Mitigation of seabird captures during hauling in CCAMLR longline fisheries.  [*CCAMLR Science* 17: 155-162](http://www.ccamlr.org/ccamlr_science/Vol-17-2010/08Reid-et-al.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/bird-exclusion-devices-beds-save-seabirds-from-longline-hauls-in-the-southern-ocean.md) ## The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) makes progress with adopting International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards On the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries ([COFI](http://www.fao.org/fishery/about/cofi/en)) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ([FAO](http://www.fao.org/)) at its Twenty-eighth Session held in 2009, the FAO convened a Technical Consultation to develop previously drafted [International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards](http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/019/k8937e.pdf).  The meeting was held in Rome, Italy over 6-10 December 2010 ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/food-and-agriculture-organization-discusses-international-guidelines-for-bycatch-management-this-week-in-rome)). The Albatross and Petrel Agreement was represented at the consultation by Barry Baker, Convenor of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group. The guidelines, which are to be voluntary, are intended to assist States and RFMOs in the management of bycatch and reduction of discards in conformity with the [FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries](http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/v9878e/v9878e00.HTM). From the perspective of seabird mortality caused by fisheries it is significant that the proposed bycatch and discards guidelines recognise the need for bycatch planning to be interpreted in the light of and to complement appropriate bycatch measures addressed in the FAO's International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries ([IPOA-Seabirds](http://www.fao.org/fishery/ipoa-seabirds/en)) and its associated [Technical Guidelines for Best Practices to Reduce Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Capture Fisheries](http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1145e/i1145e00.pdf), adopted in 2009. The report of the technical consultation and the draft bycatch and discards guidelines ([COFI/2011/Inf.12](http://www.fao.org/cofi/cofi2011/64143/en/)) will now be submitted to the next (29th) Session of COFI, to be held early next year ([click here](http://www.fao.org/cofi/cofi2011/en/)), for endorsement. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_02_Fig2.jpg) [Click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/new-fao-technical-guidelines-intended-to-save-seabirds-best-practices-to-reduce-incidental-catch-of-seabirds-in-capture-fisheries) for an earlier ACAP news item on FAO activities to reduce seabird mortality in fisheries. With thanks to Barry Baker for information. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer,19 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-food-and-agiculture-organization-fao-makes-progress-with-adopting-international-guidelines-on-bycatch-management-and-reduction-of-discards.md) ## The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission goes on-line with its Bycatch Mitigation Information System The Bycatch Mitigation Information System ([BMIS](http://www.spc.int/ofp/mitigation/)) has been developed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ([WCPFC](http://www.wcpfc.int/)) to manage and facilitate access to information covering bycatch and bycatch mitigation in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO).  Bycatch refers to those species which are incidentally caught in fisheries that target other species, such as tuna or swordfish. The online system has been made available as a resource for fisheries managers, scientists, fishers and the general public.  It has four sections: References, Mitigation Measures, Decisions/Regulations and Target & Bycatch Species. The key-word searchable [References](http://www.spc.int/ofp/mitigation/reference_list_v2.php) section focuses on seabird, shark and turtle bycatch mitigation methods relevant to the longline, purse seine, pole and line and troll tuna fisheries of the WCPO.  A total of 475 references up to 2010 is covered, including those from ACAP meetings held this year. Descriptions of 38 [Mitigation Methods](http://www.spc.int/ofp/mitigation/method_view.php?order=Mit_Meth_BriefDesc) include links to the [BirdLife International/ACAP Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Factsheets](https://www.acap.aq/mitigation-fact-sheets). [Decisions/Regulations](http://www.spc.int/ofp/mitigation/decision_list.php) (WCPFC Resolutions and Conservation and Management Measures and the decisions of other RFMOs; a total of 128) are included for each mitigation method covered, where they refer to and/or require the use of a particular mitigation method. The BMIS also provides a list of [Target & Bycatch Species](http://www.spc.int/ofp/mitigation/species_list.php) that have been recorded in the region's oceanic fisheries.  No less than 552 species are listed, including 29 seabird taxa, of which 18 are ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels recorded from the western and central Pacific Ocean. ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Mitigation/Fact_Sheet_01_Fig2.jpg) The BMIS has been developed by the [Oceanic Fisheries Programme](http://www.spc.int/oceanfish) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community ([SPC](http://www.spc.int/)) for the WCPFC, with initial funding from the US and in-kind support from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Centre (PIFSC), Honolulu, USA. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-western-and-central-pacific-fisheries-commission-goes-on-line-with-its-bycatch-mitigation-information-system.md) ## Short-tailed Albatrosses are shown not to be affected by a genetic bottleneck Masaki Kuro-o of the Department of Biology, [Hirosaki University](http://www.hirosaki-u.ac.jp/index_e.html), Japan and colleagues have published this year on the presence of a genetic bottleneck in Short-tailed Albatrosses *Phoebastria albatrus* in the journal *[Conservation Genetics](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/10592)*. The authors conclude that the species has not been deleteriously affected by inbreeding and that it has survived through a severe bottleneck because of an extremely high genetic diversity and because the duration of the bottleneck period was not very long. The paper's abstract follows: "In the late part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the last century, the Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus* was in danger of extinction owing to feather hunting.  In the middle of the last century, the total number of this species was inferred to be approximately 50-60 with breeding occurring only on Torishima Island of the Izu Islands.  Recently, the number of individuals has increased to more than 2000 and that of their breeding islands to three, namely, Torishima Island, and Minami and Kita-kojima Islands of the Senkaku Islands.  Here, we show that the 44 Short-tailed Albatrosses we examined represent 29 haplotypes in the control region of mitochondrial DNA, and have a considerably higher genetic diversity than most avian species, but not very high in albatross species; the h and p were 0.96 and 0.013, respectively.  However, the parsimony network clearly showed that many intermediate haplotypes were lost.  It was concluded that the majority of the haplotypes in the founder population have been maintained.  Judging from these findings and the exponential increase in the number of individuals, the present population of the Short-tailed Albatross seems not to be affected by inbreeding depression through a severe bottleneck.  The conservation and expansion of their breeding grounds, and effective protection from bycatch mortality in foraging areas are important for the future survival of this species." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/Short-tailed_Albatrosses_by_Hiroshi_Hasegawa.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross on Toroshima. Photograph by Hiroshi Hasegawa") **Reference:** Kuro-o, M., Yonekawa, H., Saito, S., Eda, M., Higuchi, H., Koike, H. & Hasegawa, H. 2010.  Unexpectedly high genetic diversity of mtDNA control region through severe bottleneck in vulnerable Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus*.  [*Conservation Genetics* 11: 127-137](http://www.springerlink.com/content/44wr845152358132/fulltext.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/short-tailed-albatrosses-are-shown-not-to-be-affected-by-a-genetic-bottleneck.md) ## Studying stress hormone levels in Black-browed Albatrosses [Frédéric Angelier](http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric+Angelier&sortspec=date&submit=Submit) of the [Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize´](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/), France and the [Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior](http://www.npb.ucdavis.edu/), University of California Davis, USA, and colleagues have studied corticosterone hormone levels in Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*, publishing their findings in the journal *[Biology Letters](http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/).* The paper's abstract follows: "Measuring individual quality in vertebrates is difficult.  Focusing on allostasis mechanisms may be useful because they are functionally involved in the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its environment.  Thus, a rise in stress hormones levels (corticosterone) occurs when an organism has to cope with challenging environmental conditions.  This has recently led to the proposal of the ‘cort-fitness hypothesis', which suggests that elevated baseline corticosterone levels should be found in individuals of poor quality that have difficulty coping with their environment.  We tested this hypothesis by comparing an integrative measure of individual quality to baseline corticosterone in Black-browed Albatrosses (*Thalassarche melanophrys*).  We found that individual baseline corticosterone levels were related to individual quality and highly repeatable from one breeding season to the next.  Importantly, this relationship was found in males, but not in females.  Therefore, we suggest that the relationship between quality and baseline corticosterone levels may depend on the environmental and energetic constraints that individuals have to cope with." [![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_browed/Black_browed_Albatrosses_Graham_Robertson.jpg "Black-browed Albatrosses. Photograph by Graham Robertson")](http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric+Angelier&sortspec=date&submit=Submit) [http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric+Angelier&sortspec=date&submit=Submit](http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric+Angelier&sortspec=date&submit=Submit) **Reference:** Angelier, F., Wingfield, J.C., Weimerskirch, H. & Chastel, O. 2010.  Hormonal correlates of individual quality in a long-lived bird: a test of the ‘corticosterone-fitness hypothesis'.  [*Biology Letters* 6: 846-849](http://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/publipdf/SP/Angelier_Biology_Letters.pdf). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/studying-stress-hormone-levels-in-black-browed-albatrosses.md) ## Moult and ageing in Black-browed Albatrosses Writing in the June 2010 issue of the journal *[British Birds](http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/)* Steve Howell of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide discusses moult and ageing in Black-browed Albatrosses *Thalassarche melanophris*. "The Black-browed Albatross is the most frequently recorded albatross in the Western Palearctic.  The ability to determine the age of birds in the field can be helpful when attempting to track individuals over time and between sites, thus enabling greater precision when evaluating records and establishing patterns of occurrence.  This short paper discusses the moult timing and ageing of Black-browed Albatrosses in their first few years of life, and highlights some apparent errors in the literature." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_browed/Black_Browed_Albatross_by_Luke_Finley.jpg "Black-browed Albatross at sea off Cape Town. Photograph by Luke Finley") **Reference:** Howell, S.N.G. 2010.  Moult and ageing in Black-browed Albatrosses*.  *[*British Birds* 103:353-356](http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/2010/06/01/british-birds-june-2010/). *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/moult-and-ageing-in-black-browed-albatrosses.md) ## Identifying the species of sooty albatross chicks by their eye-rings Maëlle Connan of the [Department of Zoology and Entomology](http://www.ru.ac.za/zoologyandentomology/), Rhodes University, South Africa and colleagues have addressed the tricky problem of how to identify sooty albatross *Phoebetria* spp. chicks to species level in the absence of their parents at the nest on those southern Indian Ocean island groups where both species breed.  Publishing this month on-line in the journal *[Polar Biology](http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/ecology/journal/300)* they find that in some cases molecular evidence is required to back up the appearance of the eye-rings. The paper's abstract follows: "The two fuliginous albatross species, *Phoebetria fusca*(the Sooty albatross, SA) and *P. palpebrata*(the Light-mantled albatross, LMA), are found breeding close to each other on the Prince Edward Islands (Southern Ocean).  Adults of these two species are easy to identify in the field, but the chicks are difficult to distinguish on the basis of external morphology, especially at very young ages.  Many ecological studies involve sampling of chicks as well as adults, and accurate field identification of chicks is thus crucial.  Traditionally, the extent of the ring of pale feathers around the eye (eye-ring) has been used to identify the fledglings.  The aim of our study was to investigate the utility of characters associated with the eye-ring (extent, measured as an angle, and colour) for the identification of *Phoebetria*chicks.  This was achieved by comparison of identifications based on morphology, with positive identifications based on DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome *b*gene.  We confirm the value of morphological criteria in distinguishing LMA and SA chicks, and this technique appears to be accurate in the majority of cases (>80%).  However, we recommend using molecular identification for borderline cases (angle of the eye-ring measuring between 85 and 95°) if independent confirmation of chick identity cannot be obtained (e.g. via observed feeding interaction with an adult)." ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Sooty/Sooty albatross (3) R. Wanless & A. Angel.jpg "Sooty Albatross. Photograph by Ross Wanless and Andrea Angel") **Reference:** Connan, M., Kelly, C.M.R., McQuaid, C.D., Bonnevie, B.T. & Barker, N.P. 2010.  Morphological versus molecular identification of Sooty (*Phoebetria fusca*) and Light-mantled (*P. palpebrata*) albatross chicks.  [*Polar Biology* DOI 10.1007/s00300-010-0933-6](http://www.springerlink.com/content/m26j473526878141/fulltext.pdf).  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/identifying-the-species-of-sooty-albatross-chicks-by-their-eye-rings.md) ## Seasonal greetings and best wishes for 2011 from the ACAP Secretariat The ACAP Executive Secretary and Secretariat staff extend their seasonal greetings and best wishes for 2011 to all those involved with and interested in the conservation of albatrosses and petrels around the World. The ACAP web site now has a RSS ("Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary")Feed facility to make it easier for regular visitors to access news items that have been posted. "RSS allows users to avoid manually inspecting all of the websites they are interested in, and instead subscribe to websites such that all new content is pushed onto their browsers when it becomes available" ([click here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS) to learn more about how RSS Feeds work). ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan/Tristan_Albatross_by_Ross_Wanless_and_Andrea_Angel.jpg "Male Tristan Albatross and chick on Gough Island. Photograph by Andrea Angel and Ross Wanless") After a long streak of daily news items, it is intended to take a break until the New Year.  Expect the posting of news to recommence from 2 January 2011. *Warren Papworth, Barry Baker, John Cooper, Luke Finley, JC Lloyd-Southwell, Wiesława Misiak, Juan Pablo Seco Pon and Lindsay Young, 25 December 2010* [Lees meer...](https://www.acap.aq/2010-news-archive/seasonal-greetings-and-best-wishes-for-2011-from-the-acap-secretariat.md)