Tristan Albatross, artwork by Maureen Rousseau, from a photograph by Michelle Risi

The follows news item is taken in its entirety from BirdLife International’s website.  It has been written by Oli Yates, Head of BirdLife’s Marine Programme.

“With a new protected area and a campaign to remove invasive mice, there have been many recent advances in the conservation of this Critically Endangered albatross. But our work isn’t over yet. Discover the measures in place to safeguard the species – and the gaps that still need to be filled.

The Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena (Critically Endangered) is one of the great albatrosses, ranging widely across the South Atlantic and into the Indian Ocean. These birds feed on fish and squid in surface waters, returning to their nest sites every second year where eggs are laid in January, hatch in March-April and fledge eight to nine months later from around November.

Almost the entire global population of Tristan Albatross nest at Gough Island, an incredibly remote island in the middle of the South Atlantic – the most southerly of the Tristan da Cunha island group, on the very edge of the strong westerly winds known as the ‘roaring forties’. This UNESCO Natural World Heritage site is perfectly placed, if you’re an albatross, with year-round windy conditions, highly productive waters of the Tristan da Cunha Exclusive Economic Zone within immediate reach, and roughly equidistant between the continental shelves of South America and southern Africa.  

The small community at Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the settlement at Tristan da Cunha,  have recently made a huge contribution to marine conservation by designating a Marine Conservation Zone across almost 700,000 km² of their Exclusive Economic Zone. This ‘no-take zone’ excludes fishing in most areas, with low-impact sustainable fishing permitted around the islands and seamounts to ensure the islanders can maintain economic and food security. The people of Tristan da Cunha have given the world one the biggest sanctuaries for wildlife.

Gough Island would be the perfect habitat, but for the house mice which were accidentally introduced decades ago by visiting ships. Over time, the mice learned to exploit the young chicks of albatrosses and petrels, which have no natural defence against the mammalian threat. The mice are now estimated to account for the loss of over two million seabird eggs and chicks each year. This ghastly reality has ravaged the Tristan Albatross population, and now recent evidence shows the killer mice are able to devour the adult birds too. An incredible project is underway to eradicate these non-native mice from the island - one of the world's most challenging island restoration projects – which would restore the fortunes of the island's birds.

Increased protection for this Critically Endangered species is coming on in leaps and bounds at the breeding site and its surrounding waters. This improved protection is also reinforced by vital improvements in fishery management in the Benguela Current, where seabird deaths in the Namibian demersal longline fishery have been reduced by 98%, and in the South Africa hake trawl fishery by 90%. That equates to over 30,000 birds saved every year.

Despite these stunning advances, observers on Asian distant water tuna fishing vessels continue to report accidental ‘bycatch’ of Tristan Albatrosses in areas managed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas on the High Seas, outside the Tristan Marine Protected Zone.

The RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) runs a monitoring programme for Tristan Albatrosses on Gough Island. Fledgling and adult Tristan Albatrosses receive unique leg rings, so that the population can be monitored and understood over time. In the last year three rings from adult Tristan Albatrosses have been recovered by fisheries observers, indicating fishing vessels are likely not using the seabird bycatch prevention measures they are required to deploy. When used correctly, the mitigation measures (weighting the fishing lines, setting them at night and adding and brightly-coloured ‘bird-scaring lines’), are highly effective at reducing bycatch to negligible levels.

The around 95% of distant water fishing vessels do not carry observers. In order to enforce mandatory conservation measures, we need much stronger monitoring, a greater number of observers and the use of electronic monitoring technology. These remain key pieces of the puzzle to ensure the survival of these magnificent birds.”

With thanks to Jessica Law and Oli Yates.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 06 July 2021

A College School scholar points out a Wandering Albatross

With this year’s World Albatross Day celebrated on 19 June now past it is indeed welcome to hear of “grass roots” activities that marked the day away from the public gaze of social media, especially those that raise awareness of the conservation needs of albatrosses among young children.  The following example of working with children (and with adults) in support of ‘WAD2021’ comes from Kate Neasy, who teaches French and poetry and is based in Hobart, Tasmania, writing last month to ACAP’s Executive Secretary.

“It began with an email from Christine Bogle, the Executive Secretary of ACAP, who is a member of my French conversation group.  We meet to practise our French and Christine has talked about her work from time to time.  Her e-mail contained a detailed media release about la Journée Mondiale de l’Albatros in French.  I had to look up many words, but I became very interested.  I simplified the original document and added some images to help my adult beginner French students.  I also found some gorgeous illustrations that I made into posters to put round our classroom to attract attention.  We all learned a heap of new French words about the species of albatrosses, the danger they are in, the methods of fishing, the measures that can be taken to prevent so many albatross deaths and as an extra, how the albatross is being useful in detecting illegal fishing boats.

Kate Neasey. French & Poetry Teacher, The Cottage School

I also work in a small independent primary school, called The Cottage School, in Bellerive, Tasmania.  This school is wonderful, our motto is “Small School, Big Difference” and one of the differences is the emphasis on looking after others and our environment.  The children are very aware of issues such as climate change, recycling, healthy and ethical practices.  Classes go on many environment days when they explore particular habitats and conditions.  A couple of enterprising students started the popular “Wilderness Warriors” club, where the kids gather once a week to learn about areas such as the Tarkine [Forest Reserve] in Tasmania.”

With the Grade 1 and 2 class this term, the class teacher has focused on migration.  The children have read several books about people, animals and birds migrating.  They already knew about World Albatross Day and were full of facts about bird migration so we had a great discussion (in English, their French is basic).

This week when our conversation group meets, I will give them copies of the information I gave my adult students and start a discussion in French and the posters will still be on the walls for them to examine.  One more small step in raising awareness about the magnificent albatrosses.”

The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IATTO) creates a World Albatross Day poster in French

With grateful thanks to Kate Neasey, or as the French say at Le Tour de France “Chapeau!”

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 July 2021

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

Chocolate mud cake by Nick Baker, Chef, Macquarie Island Research Station, photograph by Simon Payne

The aptly named Nick Baker is the current chef at the Macquarie Island Research Station.  A veteran of nearly three winters he contributed his masterpiece, presumably virtually, to the Australian Antarctic Division’s Albicake Bake Off in recognition of World Albatross Day last month.  He writes “The nest is a chocolate mud cake with raspberry gelato albatross, covered in crispy meringue in the shape of a light mantled albatross.  Adorned with white chocolate ‘poo’ splatters surrounded by grasses of the green sponge.  I was inspired by the fluffy cuteness of the Sooty Albatross chicks on the slopes around Macca.”

Nick Baker on Macquarie Island, photograph by Billy Wallace

ACAP is relieved to note that “No albatrosses were harmed in the eating of the cakes.”

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 July 2021