ACAP Latest News

Read about recent developments and findings in procellariiform science and conservation relevant to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels in ACAP Latest News.

Contact the ACAP Communications Advisor if you wish to have your news featured.

Keeping bedroom and kitchen close: Audubon’s Shearwaters breed near ocean fronts in the Caribbean

Will Chatfield-Taylor (Olsson Associates, Overland Park, Kansas, USA) has published open-access in the journal Marine Ornithology on the breeding and foraging distribution of Audubon’s Shearwaters Puffinus lherminieri in the Caribbean in relation to predictable thermal fronts.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“This study aims to better understand how the nesting distribution of Audubon’s Shearwaters Puffinus lherminieri in the Caribbean is associated with the location of predictable ocean fronts, in turn reflecting the different foraging strategies employed by males and females during their pre-laying exodus. The study compares the spatial distribution of bathymetric features — generators of fronts — relative to the pre-laying exodus foraging areas of male and female shearwaters in 89 known nesting locations and in a control group of 5 621 remaining islands in the Caribbean. For each location, the density of potential locations within the foraging radius of males (270 km) and females (270– 850 km) was calculated by geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Foraging sites for males tended to be more densely aggregated and those for females less densely aggregated when compared with the controls, but, for both, a correlation between the proximity of nesting locations and likely frontal regions was clear. These data indicate that nesting locations appear to be associated with predictable thermal fronts. This strategy improves the shearwaters’ access to food sources during the pre-laying exodus.”

 

Audubon's Shearwater

Reference:

Chatfield-Taylor, W. 2017. Caribbean Audubon’s Shearwaters Puffinus lherminieri choose nesting locations that improve male and female pre-laying exodus foraging strategies. Marine Ornithology 45: 103-106.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 May 2017

One for the albatrosses: six Spanish companies are fined for IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment has imposed a fine of almost 5.3 million Euros on six companies and six natural persons involved in illegal fishing operations following raids on fishing companies in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra in July 2015.  During the raids by the Ministry's inspection services documents were seized which were determined to have been aimed at concealing the ownership, management and operation of the fishing vessels Viking and Seabull 22.

Both these ships had been identified by international agencies such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFOas vessels involved in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing for Patagonian Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides and other fish in the Atlantic using longlines and gill nets. The two vessels had been added to the European Union’s list of IUU vessels in 2010.

 

Seabull 22

Viking

IUU poachers in the Southern Ocean are thought to have caused considerable mortality of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, as they are presumed not to bother to adopt mitigation measures, such as the deployment of bird-scaring lines.

The Ministry reports that “in order to obstruct the pursuit of their activities, in addition to using interposed companies of different nationalities, those responsible usually changed the name of the vessels”.  The two ships are no longer fishing: the Viking was sunk by Indonesian authorities off its coast last year (click here) and Seabull 22 was reported as having been scrapped in Cape Verde.

The Viking gets scuttled

“The sanctioning order also declares six natural persons linked to those companies responsible for several infractions for having maintained relations of diverse nature with these ships, prohibited by national, community and international regulations. The economic penalty applied to these six persons amounts to EUR 2.82 million. All these sanctions amount to a total of EUR 5,27 million, and they are added to sanctions for disqualification for fishing activities ranging from 5 to 14 years, and the prohibition to obtain subsidies and public aid in periods ranging between 5 and 12 years.  In addition, one of the individuals implicated is sanctioned for obstruction to the document inspection and destruction tasks, with a fine of EUR 60,000.”

“Community law prohibits nationals of Member States from granting any form of aid to IUU fishing or directly or indirectly benefiting from the activity of vessels included in the Community list of vessels of this type of activity fishery.”

Read more here and here.

With thanks to Mark Tasker.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 May 2017

A change for Papahanaumokuakea? United States to review its large Marine Protected Areas in the Pacific

The current President of the United States last week signed an executive order “Review of Designations under the Antiquities Act” that directs the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to review as many as 25 to 40 existing national monuments created by presidential executive order under the Antiquities Act of 1906 that have been created since 1 January 1996 and that span at least 100 000 acres (405 km2 ) in size (click here). The Antiquities Act gives the President the authority, by presidential proclamation, to create national monuments from federal lands to protect significant natural, cultural or scientific features.  Click here for a list of the National Monuments affected.

The order calls on Ryan Zinke to consider “the requirements and original objectives” of the Antiquities Act, “including the Act’s requirement that reservations of land not exceed ‘the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.’ ”

The review will include examination of several large Marine Protected Areas, including Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM), which President George W. Bush designated under the Antiquities Act in 2006 and which President Barack Obama quadrupled in size a decade later in August last year (click here).  The 1 508 870-km2 PMNM supports large breeding populations of ACAP-listed Laysan Phoebastria immutabilis and Black-footed P. nigripes Albatrosses, as well as other seabirds, on such islands as Midway, Kure, Laysan, Lisianski and the French Frigate Shoals.

 

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument: original and expanded areas

The executive order directs the Department of the Interior to provide an interim report to the President within 45 days and a final report to the President within 120 days of the order.  At a press briefing the Interior Secretary said “The executive order does not strip any monument of a designation [and] does not loosen any environmental or conservation regulation on any land or marine areas”.  He also stated that his report will come with recommendations to the President on “whether a monument should be rescinded, re-sized or modified”.  The enlargement of the PMNM by President Obama was opposed by the fishing industry, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (click here for its submission), many state legislators and two former governors of Hawaii (click here).

Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses, photograph courtesy of the Kure Atoll Conservancy

ACAP Latest News will report on any changes to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument that may be recommended or made as part of the Interior Secretary’s review of the USA’s recently created large national monuments.  The PMNM (at its 2006 size of 362 075 km2) was inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List in 2010 in terms of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 May 2017

One more to go: Year Four of the Chatham Albatross translocation project is successfully completed

Globally Vulnerable and New Zealand endemic Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita chicks have been translocated by the Chatham Islands Taiko Trust from the Pyramid, the species’ sole breeding site, to Point Gap on the main Chatham Island over the last four years in an effort to establish a new breeding colony. The colour-banded chicks are hand fed on fish and squid in the presence of adult decoys and a sound system until they fledge (see earlier reports in ACAP Latest News).

 

The last translocated Chatham Albatross chick to fledge in 2016 stands on its artificial nest at Point Gap with decoys in the background

In the first year all 50 fledged translocated chicks fledged: a 100% success rate.  In the second year 55 out of 60 fledged, with 45 out of 50 fledging in the third year.  This year 58 of 62 fledged, with the last bird leaving over 21/22 April.   Thus out of 222 chicks translocated in four years 208 fledged, a 93.7% success rate – which is likely to be as good or better than that achieved by naturally-reared chicks.  The fatalities were all autopsied with a combination of heat and stress determined as the cause of death.

A fifth and final year of transfers from the Pyramid is planned. After that the decoys and sound system will be left in place at the translocation site to help attract returning birds.  In addition, trips will be undertaken to the Pyramid to look for translocated pre-breeders that might have returned there instead of to Point Gap.  To date, no birds have been seen returning to the translocation site but they may be expected within a year or two, although one has been identified off South America by its colour bands (click here).

With thanks to Dave Boyle.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 May 2017

Island counts and at-sea tracking suggest female Antipodean Albatrosses are doing less well at sea than are males

Graeme Elliott and Kath Walker (Albatross Research, Nelson, New Zealand) have produced a report presented last month to a meeting of the Conservation Services Programme of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation on their recent research on the globally Vulnerable Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis breeding on New Zealand’s Antipodes Island.

“Antipodean wandering albatrosses have been monitored since 1994. They increased in abundance between 1994 and 2004 at about 6.3% per annum, but since 2004 have declined: males at 5% per annum and females at 11%. The population of breeding females is now only 25% of its 2004 level. At the current rate of decline there will be only 250 pairs of Antipodean wandering albatrosses in 28 years. Coincident with this decline there has been a reduction in nesting success. The rapid drop in numbers has been caused by high mortality, particularly amongst females. The most likely cause of this decline is a change in ocean conditions which has led to lower nesting success and birds foraging in areas with a higher fisheries bycatch risk than before. A comparison of satellite tracking before 2004 and geolocator tracking after 2004 indicates a dramatic shift in the foraging range of females. They now often forage to the north-east of New Zealand and in two areas off the South American coast: near Juan Fernandez Islands and close to the south Chilean coast. Since males visit the Juan Fernandez and north-east New Zealand areas only rarely, and since they have much higher survivorship it seems possible the high female mortality might be happening in these two areas. Understanding the causes of and solutions to the high female mortality is urgently required as the high and sustained rate of decline has put this species into New Zealand’s “Nationally Critical” conservation status category.”

An Antipodean Albatross pair on Antipodes Island, photograph by Colin O'Donnell

Reference:

Elliott, G. & Walker, K. 2017.  Antipodean Wandering Albatross Census and Population Study 2017 [Nelson]: Albatross Research.  13 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 April 2017

The Agreement on the
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations.

About ACAP

ACAP Secretariat

119 Macquarie St
Hobart TAS 7000
Australia

Email: secretariat@acap.aq
Tel: +61 3 6165 6674