Today is the Fourth World Seabird Day

Great Auk

The Fourth World Seabird Day takes place today, the date of the last known sighting of the extinct Great Auk Pinguinis impennis on 3 July 1844.

"Seabird scientists, managers and enthusiasts from around the world commemorate this date to raise awareness of the continuing conservation threats to seabird populations, worldwide"

The allied World Albatross Day was held for the second time on 19 June this year with the theme  “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries”.  The large number of albatrosses and petrels killed by fisheries was the main driving force for the establishment of the Albatross & Petrel Agreement two decades ago and addressing this continuing conservation problem remains an important part of ACAP’s ongoing work.  In May 2019 ACAP's Advisory Committee at its most recent meeting held in Brazil declared that a conservation crisis continues to be faced by its 31 listed species, with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying every year as a result of fisheries operations. To increase awareness of this crisis ACAP inaugurated a World Albatross Day, to be held annually from 2020 on 19 June, the date the Agreement was signed in 2001.

 John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 July 2021