Buller's Albatross, oil on canvas, by Brett Jarrett

Imogen Foote (School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the New Zealand Journal of Zoology on identifying seabird bycatch with genetic markers.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Fisheries bycatch mortality is a significant threat facing seabirds worldwide.  Yet, understanding which species are most impacted is hindered by uncertainties when identifying bycatch specimens.  Birds can be damaged by fishing gear and closely related seabird taxa can have overlapping traits, presenting challenges for identification based on morphology and plumage.  Here, we have developed a genetic method for identifying seabirds at risk from bycatch in Aotearoa New Zealand across 36 species including albatrosses, storm petrels, petrels, shags, and penguins.  Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) analysis enabled identification of all taxa to the genus level, and 75% to the species level.  All but one species (Salvin's albatross, Thalassarche salvini) that could not be successfully identified using COI could be distinguished from their more highly variable mitochondrial control region sequences.  Subspecies of Cape petrel (Daption capense capense/D. c. australe), Antipodean albatross (Diomedea antipodensis antipodensis/D. a. gibsoni), and Buller's albatross (T. bulleri bulleri/T. b. platei) could not be distinguished using either of these loci so will require development of more highly discriminating markers.  Our methodology will be a valuable complement to the current formal identification process of seabird bycatch in South Pacific fisheries, helping to inform future fisheries management and seabird conservation.”

Reference:

Foote, I., Chambers, G.K., Rawlence, N.J. & Ritchie, P.A. 2026.  Using genetic markers to identify seabirds caught in Aotearoa New Zealand fisheries.  New Zealand Journal of Zoology 53 e70020. doi.org/10.1002/njz2.70020.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 May 2026

Collage poster design for ABUN Project #52 “Habitat Restoration” by ABUN Co-founder Kitty Harvill

The international collective Artists and Biologists for Nature (ABUN) has contributed to the conservation of ACAP-listed species every year since 2020 by running an annual project for which contributing artists produce artworks to mark World Albatross Day on 19 June.  Over the seven years no less than 760 artworks illustrating all 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels have been created, using photographs made available by ACAP supporters to act as inspiration.

For this year’s project, ABUN’s 52nd, artists were requested to produce works featuring the Endangered Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos, endemic to the Tristan da Cunha islands, part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, and the Vulnerable Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita, endemic to The Pyramid, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

ABUN's Project #52, which commenced on 16 February and ran to 03 May, has been in support of the World Albatross Day theme for 2026 of “Habitat Restoration”.  It has resulted in 64 artworks by 37 artists, including several who produced more than one work.  They will be used by ACAP to support “WAD2026” until the actual day on 19 June – and thereafter.

Kitty Harvill with “Dreaming of Gough”, her painting in acrylics on canvas of a close-up of the head of an Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross for ABUN Project #52.  Gough Island where the species breeds, is reflected in the bird’s eye, after a photograph by Chris Jones

To round off the project, ABUN Co-founder Kitty Harvill has produced a collage poster depicting all the artworks created to support WAD2026.  The poster and the artworks themselves may be viewed and downloaded from a photo album on ACAP’s Facebook page.  Five of them have been chosen to be made into posters that will become available for downloading from this website between now and World Albatross Day.

Habitat Restoration in action.  An adult Laysan Albatross (at the rear) has been attracted to visit the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Oahu by the presence of two decoys and a speaker broadcasting calls within a predator-proof fence.  Photograph by Lindsay Young, Pacific Rim Conservation

The WAD2026 theme of Habitat Restoration includes such management activities as eradication or control of introduced plants and animals at breeding sites, provision and maintenance of predator-proof fences, establishment of new breeding colonies by attraction techniques such as use of decoys and sound systems and translocations of eggs and chicks, candling and substituting infertile with fertile eggs, placement of artificial nests, supplementary feeding and hydration of chicks and adults, artificial incubation during hatching, and the use of artificial nests, wind breaks, fly repellents and sprinkler systems to improve breeding success.  You can search for projects among over 850 that utilize such management activities on the Seabird Restoration Data Base.

ACAP’s logo for World Albatross Day 2026 is available in landscape and portrait versions in the ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish, as well as in Portuguese.  Designed by Namo Niumim, they are available for downloading here

The WAD2026 theme follows on from the inaugural theme “Eradicating Island Pests” in 2020, “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries” in 2021, “Climate Change” in 2022, “Plastic Pollution” in 2023, Marine Protected Areas” in 2024 and “Effects of Disease” in 2025, all of which have been supported by ABUN Projects.

With grateful thanks to ABUN Co-founder, Kitty Harvill and to all the artists and photographers who have contributed to Project #52.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 20 May 2026

 A Wandering Albatross chick that succumbed to High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza on Marion Island in November 2024, photograph by Rhiannon Gill

Ralph Vanstreels (Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California - Davis, USA) and colleagues have published in the Biodiversity Data Journal on the work of the ACAP Intersessional Correspondence Group of Experts on Epidemiology, Disease Risk Assessment and Management.  The Group advises the Albatrosses and Petrel Agreement on issues related to the ongoing high pathogenicity H5Nx avian influenza panzootic.

Geographic distribution of confirmed HPAI events in procellariiform birds. HPAI events are with coloured symbols by species (shape and colour) and number of individuals affected (size). The total number of confirmed HPAI events recorded for each species is indicated in the legend (n). Dagger symbols (†) indicate species listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). Data updated as of 31 December 2025 (from the publication)

The paper's abstract follows:

“High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have rapidly emerged as a major global threat to wildlife, with severe consequences for seabird populations. Albatrosses and petrels (order Procellariiformes) are particularly vulnerable due to their long lifespan, low reproductive rates and strong site fidelity. Since 2021, HPAI viruses have caused unprecedented mortality in seabird communities worldwide and have expanded into the core range of procellariiform species, including sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions.

In response to the urgent need for timely, species-relevant information, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) established the High Pathogenicity H5Nx Avian Influenza Intersessional Correspondence Group (HPAI-ICG), which developed the ACAP HPAI database — an openly accessible, regularly updated resource that consolidates all known suspected and confirmed HPAI events involving procellariiform birds. The database compiles information from global and national reporting systems, scientific literature, genetic repositories, government communications and direct expert notifications. Events are standardised using transparent case definitions, cross-referenced and validated by subject-matter experts and complemented by additional data on case impacts and viral characteristics. The database provides a critical decision-support tool for governments, researchers, conservation practitioners and tourism operators, contributing to the planning and implementation of HPAI biosafety, surveillance, monitoring and outbreak response activities.”

With thanks to Patricia Serafini.

Reference:

Vanstreels, R.E.T., Serafini, P.P., Giacinti J., Younger, J., Huyvaert, K.P., Wille, M., Roberts, L., Gamble, A. & Uhart, M.M. 2026.  A public database to monitor the spread and impacts of high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses on albatrosses and petrels.  Biodiversity Data Journal 14. e186836.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 19 May 2026

“Will you be Mine?”.  Buller's Albatrosses by Ellyn Bousman Lentz, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2024

Mike Bell of Toroa Consulting has produced a final report for the New Zealand Department of Conservation’s Conservation Services Programme (CSP) that gives information on recent population surveys and at-sea tracking of four ACAP-listed species on the offshore “albatross islands” of the Chatham Islands.  The species studied were the Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita, Northern Buller’s Albatross T. bulleri platei, Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi and the Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli.

The three islands surveyed were Rangitutahi (The Sisters), Motuhara (The Forty Fours) and Te Tara Koi Koia (The Pyramid).

Reference:

Bell, M. 2026.  Seabird research on the “Albatross Islands” of the Chatham Islands, Aug-Dec 2025.  Chatham Island, New Zealand.  Toroa Consulting.  20 pp.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 18 May 2026