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Highly threatened by bird flu and industrial fisheries, albatrosses need protection worldwide
On 19 June 2025, conservationists and wildlife advocates worldwide will celebrate World Albatross Day (WAD2025) with its theme “Effects of Disease”, as an opportunity to highlight the conservation crisis faced by these iconic ocean dwellers. This year’s theme aims to shed light on the alarming impact of diseases, particularly High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI; bird flu), on already vulnerable albatross and petrel populations. The current outbreak has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of wild birds worldwide, pushing several species closer to extinction. It is estimated that several species of albatrosses and petrels have been impacted by bird flu worldwide.
Celebrated for their remarkable long-distance flights, albatrosses and petrels play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. As apex predators, these birds feed on fish, squid, and other marine organisms. By consuming these prey and subsequently excreting waste they contribute to nutrient cycling, returning vital nutrients to the ocean. Additionally, they serve as indicators of ocean health. A decrease in albatross or petrel populations often signals changes in fish stocks or broader environmental issues, such as climate change or pollution. Albatrosses are the sentinels of our oceans; if they’re struggling, it’s a sign the whole marine environment is under stress.
Albatrosses are among the most threatened group of birds globally, with 15 of the 22 species currently listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. “Albatrosses are already facing major threats such as industrial fisheries bycatch, invasive predators on breeding islands, chemical and plastic pollution, and climate change,” says Dr. Laura Roberts, State Veterinarian for South Africa’s Western Cape Department of Agriculture.
Now, with the current global bird flu outbreak, these magnificent birds are confronting an even worse and unprecedented convergence of threats that is pushing many species closer to extinction. “We’re witnessing a perfect storm of threats,” says Dr. Marcela Uhart, wildlife health expert with the University of California, Davis, USA. “The need for coordinated science-driven conservation action has never been more urgent.”
Bird flu victim? A dead Black-browed Albatross on its nest, Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands, (Islas Malvinas)*, photograph by Alastair Baylis
A Black-browed Albatross chick succumbs to avian flu on Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands, (Islas Malvinas)*, March 2024, photograph from Penguin News
Recent outbreaks of bird flu have been confirmed in several seabird species, including albatrosses, across both hemispheres. Estimates suggest that over 10 000 chicks and thousands of adult Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris died in 2023/2024 due to a bird flu outbreak in the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)* alone. The disease has spread to the sub-Antarctic region, affecting Vulnerable Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans colonies on Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*, Marion, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean. Isolated cases of bird flu infection have also been recorded in Procellariiformes (the order that includes albatrosses and petrels) across Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Tests confirmed HPAI. Corpse of a Wandering Albatross chick in the Goney Plain long-term monitoring colony, Marion Island, November 2024, photograph by Rhiannon Gill
Even before the emergence of bird flu, other infectious diseases have been affecting seabirds around the world. For instance, “Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses T. carteri on Amsterdam Island have been facing recurrent outbreaks of avian cholera, a bacterial disease, since the mid-1980s,” says Dr. Amandine Gamble, infectious disease ecologist at Cornell University, New York, USA. “Bird flu represents an additional threat to these already weakened populations,” Gamble adds. Other infectious diseases known to affect albatrosses and petrels are caused by, for instance, poxviruses.
Albatrosses and petrels, many of which breed in large, dense colonies, are particularly vulnerable to pathogens. “Once bird flu reaches seabird colonies, our ability to reduce mortality is extremely limited,” says Patricia Serafini, an environmental analyst at the National Center for Research and Conservation of Wild Birds (CEMAVE) in Brazil and ACAP Population and Conservation Status Working Group Co-convenor. “We must do everything we can to prevent further spread while simultaneously addressing other conservation threats for which mitigation tools are already available.”
“Consumers can play an important role in albatross conservation”, says Serafini. By choosing seafood not linked to albatross bycatch, individuals can help reduce a major threat to these birds. Supporting brands and fisheries that prioritise seabird-safe practices is a vital step toward protecting these oceanic travellers. People can also help prevent the spread of bird flu and other diseases by respecting travel advisories regarding affected areas and reporting dead birds to local wildlife authorities or health departments.
World Albatross Day serves as a powerful reminder of the interconnected threats facing marine life. “Protecting albatrosses and petrels is not just about saving beautiful birds; it means protecting the balance of life in the oceans they call home,” says Patricia Serafini.
Join us on 19 June in celebrating World Albatross Day and advocating for the protection of these remarkable ocean sentinels.
With thanks to Patricia Serafini, Convenor, ACAP Intersessional Group on Avian Influenza and Diseases
ACAP Intersessional Group on Avian Influenza and Diseases on behalf of the ACAP Secretariat, 16 June 2025
*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.