The American Bird Conservancy and Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Environmental Informatics have created an interactive website to help inform fishers, conservationists and “those promoting fishery sustainability” to assess the risk of accidental capture of seabirds in fisheries, and to take action to reduce bycatch.

“Featuring a database with profiles of 378 seabird species, the website offers a unique way to access a wealth of information.  After drawing a map that outlines an area of interest, one click produces a list of seabirds known to occur there, along with useful information for assessing the risk posed to seabirds by fishing gear. Users can:

create fishery area maps and determine which birds occur there;
review protected status, population size, and range maps;
produce reports with information such as diving depth and diet that may indicate the risk posed by fishing gear; and
find resources on how to reduce bycatch.

In the interactive map feature, users can overlay the base map with layers showing bird species ranges, as well as jurisdictions such as Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) or protected areas.  While the intent is to help minimize bycatch among all seabirds, this component of the site will be particularly valuable in reducing the risk to vulnerable species.

With the wealth of information provided about each species, fisheries managers can make changes to their fishing methods that may reduce or eliminate the accidental injury or killing of bird species found in their area.  These fishermen could consider adding paired streamer lines to scare birds away from the longlines as they are being set or setting their lines at night when birds such as albatrosses, which are especially susceptible to bycatch, are less active."

Paired bird-scaring lines behind a South African trawler keep Black-browed Albatrosses away from the warp cable

Photograph by Barry Watkins

"In addition to providing information on seabirds in a geographic area, the web tool features a search function that allows a user to obtain profiles of specific species or taxonomic groups, or to search for threatened species.  The site allows fishermen to identify the fishing gear they use and search for birds known to interact with that gear.  The site provides information for 17 different types of fishing gear, including set or drift gillnets, different types of longlines, trawls, seines, hand lines, pots, and traps.”

The site is explained in an introductory video. Click here for the press release.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 September 2015

European Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus have been discovered breeding “for the first time in living memory” on the now rat-free islands of St Agnes and Gugh in the United Kingdom’s Isles of Scilly.  This news is reported in the latest issue of the ‘Rat on a Rat’ update of the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project, as well as in more detail in a press release.

“Three chicks have just been heard on St Agnes; two on Gugh.  Back in July, as part of wider seabird surveys, adult ‘stormies’ were heard replying to taped calls.  So in September, under cover of darkness and armed with head torches, audio recorders and a deal of patience, we went out again and this time caught the ‘cheep cheep’ of chicks.  One fluffy chick was actually filmed in its nest site: head to our website and watch the footage.”

2014 Manx Shearwater chick on St Agnes and Gugh, photograph by Jaclyn Pearson

In addition 28 Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus chicks have been recorded in the second year after rat removal; last year the number was 10.  Watch footage of Manx Shearwater chicks here.

The lessons learnt and successes achieved in the inhabited Isles of Scilly in eradicating Norway or Brown Rats Rattus norvegicus and the subsequent establishment of breeding populations of shearwaters and storm petrels bode well for the plans to eradicate rodents on other seabird islands with human populations, such as Australia’s Lord Howe.

Read earlier ACAP Latest News items on the rat eradication exercise on the Isles of Scilly.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 September 2015

Endangered Newell’s Shearwaters Puffinus newellii and Vulnerable Hawaiian Petrels Pterodroma sandvicensis have been downed in numbers by night-time lights during foggy conditions on the Hawaiian island of Kauai over several days this month.  Most of the 126 birds grounded so far have been shearwaters and all were adults.  About 100 of the birds collected were from around the radar-tracking facility at Kokee Air Force Station, and 10 of the total have died (click here and here).

Newell's Shearwater on release, photograph by Eric Vanderwerf

“Officials said faulty light positioning at the tracking facility likely reflected off dense fog and created poor navigability and resulted in collisions and falls.”  The event is considered unusual as it is usually inexperienced fledglings that are most affected by light pollution, not adults. Fledging has not yet commenced.

It is reported that the Air Force facility had a few lights that were not positioned correctly: “[t]he lights should have been pointed directly at the ground, as not to reflect in the skies, but some of them weren’t.”  The facility had switched over to using green lights (which attract fewer birds – click here) in 2011.

The birds are being treated at the Kauai Humane Society though its Save Our Shearwater programme.  Most of those collected have now been treated and released.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 September 2015

Marcel Gil-Velasco and colleagues have published in this month in the journal British Birds on identifying the three small shearwaters that breed within Europe.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Three medium-sized Puffinus shearwaters breed in Europe: Manx P. puffinus, Yelkouan P. yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters P. mauretanicus.  These three, considered a single, polytypic species until relatively recently, can be difficult to identify in some situations, notably in a vagrant context.  This paper presents a detailed review of the plumage variability of the three taxa; combined with an understanding of structural differences and flight characteristics, this should provide a sound basis for the identification of problematic individuals.”

Balearic Shearwater

Reference:

Gil-Velasco, M., Rodríguez, G., Menzie, S., Arcos, J.M. 2015.  Plumage variability and field identification of Manx, Yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters.  British Birds Vol. 108.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 September 2015