A booklet entitled “Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels Achievements in the First Ten Years 2004 – 2014” has been produced in the three ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish by the ACAP Secretariat and the Advisory Committee’s Officials based on the inputs of ACAP Parties.

The preface of the booklet follows, written by ACAP’s Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth and Chair of its Advisory Committee (and Executive Secretary Elect) Marco Favero.

“The booklet’s purpose is to identify the main achievements of the Agreement and its Parties in improving the conservation status of the species listed in Annex 1, as well as to identify the key challenges remaining in its implementation.  The reports in this booklet reveal the significant progress made by ACAP Parties in addressing threats to the survival of albatrosses and petrels, both on land and at sea.  This work has been complemented by the activities of many non-Party Range States, such as Canada, Japan and the United States of America, who have actively participated in and supported the work of the Agreement, even though they are not signatories to it at this point in time.  The active support of non-governmental organisations such as American Bird Conservancy, BirdLife International, Humane Society International, Pro Delphinus, Projeto Albatroz, Southern Seabird Solutions and World Wildlife Fund amongst others, has also been instrumental in the success that has been achieved in improving the conservation status of albatrosses and petrels globally.

The Agreement has played a crucial role in bringing together a global network of researchers and managers to identify threats to albatrosses and petrels, to prioritize conservation actions and to find effective solutions to them.  Through the work of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group, it has identified effective measures that can be taken to prevent the bycatch of seabirds in longline and trawl fisheries, which together pose the greatest at-sea threat to the survival of many albatrosses and petrels.  Similarly, ACAP’s Population and Conservation Status Working Group has developed guidelines that identify best-practice methods to address land-based threats at the breeding sites of these species.  Significant progress has been achieved at some important breeding sites, where large-scale pest eradication programmes have been completed.  The success of these programmes has in some cases been immediately noticeable, with a number of species returning to breed on these islands following the successful completion of the pest-eradication programmes.  Threats from disease and introduced pests still threaten the survival of some species and it is important that the work of ACAP Parties continues at these breeding sites in the years ahead until these threats are addressed.  The Agreement has also been instrumental in coordinating the development of effective seabird conservation measures in both domestic and high seas fisheries, in the latter case, through its Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) engagement strategy.  As a result of this work, many of the RFMOs whose fisheries overlap with the foraging areas of albatrosses and petrels have now adopted seabird conservation measures, based on ACAP’s best-practice advice.  The challenge remains however to see the effective implementation of the conservation measures that have now been adopted.  A lack of data has made it difficult to evaluate the extent to which these conservation measures have been implemented in many fisheries.  To achieve ACAP’s objective of achieving and maintaining a favourable conservation status of albatrosses and petrels, it is essential that effective observer programmes and/or electronic monitoring programmes be put in place.  The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which has 100% observer coverage in its longline fishing operations, has proven that the reduction of seabird bycatch to nil or negligible levels is possible in high seas fisheries.  ACAP’s focus in the coming years must be to see this success replicated in other fisheries, to continue its work in addressing threats at breeding sites and to seek the active participation of those Range States who are not yet engaged in its work.”

Click to access the English, French and Spanish versions of the 10-year achievements booklet.

A Wandering Albatross flies by at sea, photograph by John Chardine

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 August 2015

An at-sea survey for the ACAP-listed Balearic Shearwaters Puffinus mauretanicus is planned along the United Kingdom coastline between Portland Bill in Dorset and Ilfracombe in north Devon (including Lundy Island) this month by MARINElife (click here).

The project aims to “gather UK population data for Balearic shearwaters during a time when animals visit UK waters to moult, and help establish a UK population estimate; maximise our ability to estimate numbers in this region, as just surveying one smaller area in a day may be misleading as Balearic shearwaters are often seen in flight, passing through an area; build on evidence for identifying hotspots for Balearic shearwaters; and better understand the potential threats to Balearic shearwaters, particularly where we may see large groups in relatively restricted areas of the Western Channel.”

Balearic Shearwater at sea, photograph by Pep Arcos

MARINElife is a charity which works to conserve marine wildlife through research and education.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 August 2015

The ACAP-listed Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus has a global threatened status of Critically Endangered (click here).  Following a new assessment at a European level its threatened status has been retained in the recently released European Red List of Birds (click here).

Conservation actions proposed include “control and eradicate introduced predators (with particular emphasis on carnivores) in breeding colonies identified as at risk.  Thoroughly study the problem of bycatch by long-line fishing and develop awareness campaigns directed at the fishing sector, in order to mitigate this threat, plus assess and implement the appropriate mitigation measures.  Ensure effective protection for nesting sites and marine hotspots, and the implementation of monitoring schemes and management plans.  Develop a rapid response plan for a potential oil spill close to main feeding and breeding areas.  Raise awareness and stop human exploitation.  Study small pelagic fish populations in the western Mediterranean and in the Bay of Biscay to assess extent of overexploitation and how this affects the species.  Assess the impact of pollutants and heavy metals on this species.  Improve understanding of at-sea distribution, including during the non-breeding season.”

Balearic Shearwater in the hand, photograph by Daniel Oro

Conservation assessments are included in the red list for all the 15 procellariiform species that breed within the European region as defined, including the Yelkouan Shearwater P. yelkouan (click here) and four other Puffinus and Calonectris Shearwaters.

Reference:

BirdLife International 2015.  European Red List of Birds.  Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 August 2015

The Albatross Task Force has released is annual highlights report, accessible on the Marine Programme website of BirdLife International.

“The Albatross Task Force is an international team of expert practitioners of seabird bycatch mitigation measures, and is built on the foundations of a small but highly dedicated group of individuals supported by the BirdLife International network of partners and local host conservation organisations.  This year the joint effort of the teams has racked up over 700 days at sea in 15 fisheries, across eight countries and two continents.  While on shore, the teams have managed a combined effort of 850 meetings, port visits and outreach events reaching at least 13,800 fishery stakeholders, officials and members of the public to generate a wider understanding and awareness of the urgent need to reduce the unsustainable incidental capture of vulnerable seabirds.

The main objective of the Task Force is to reduce bycatch of albatross and petrels in targeted fisheries, and ultimately to improve the conservation status of threatened seabirds.  Since the inception of the ATF with a single team in South Africa in 2006, the RSPB now supports trained mitigation instructors in seven countries, employing 17 team members.  The principal duties of the ATF include identifying fisheries which pose the greatest risk to seabirds, and developing, demonstrating and implementing best practice measures to reduce seabird bycatch to negligible levels.  Our work consistently results in clear demonstrations that seabird bycatch can be reduced by >90% once the right combination of mitigation measures are deployed.

Our first team in South Africa has led the field, with a multi-year study reflecting a 99% reduction in albatross mortality in the trawl fishery.  Other ATF teams, which began operations in 2008, are now beginning to follow suit with the introduction of new regulations to protect vulnerable seabirds in some of the world’s bycatch “hotspots”.”

Poster by Jamie Watts

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 August 2015