--- title: "Albatrosses and petrels listed within international treaties, No. 2. The Bern Convention" --- # Albatrosses and petrels listed within international treaties, No. 2. The Bern Convention Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats of 1979 (the [Bern Convention](http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=104&CM=8&DF=05/01/2013&CL=ENG)) are required take appropriate and necessary legislative and administrative measures to ensure the conservation of the habitats of wild fauna species, especially the Specially Protected Species listed in its appendices. Seven species and one family of procellariiform seabirds have been listed in [Appendix II](http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/FR/Treaties/Html/104-2.htm#Birds/Oiseaux) of the Convention since March 2002. Appendix II-listed shearwaters are the Barolo or Macaronesian *Puffinus baroli* (listed as a subspecies of the Little Shearwater *P. assimilis baroli*), Manx *P. puffinus*, Yelkouan *P. yelkouan*and Cory's Shearwater *Calonectris diomedea*[but cited as *Procellaria diomedea*, presumably in error).  Although not specifically stated, it would seem that the Yelkouan Shearwater when listed was considered conspecific with the closely-related Balearic Shearwater *P. mauretanicus* (an ACAP-listed species).  Further, Cory's Shearwater *C. borealis*of Macaronesia is now commonly regarded as specifically distinct from Scopoli's Shearwater *C. diomedea* of the Mediterranean. The Manx and Cory's (*sensu lato*) Shearwaters are not considered threatened by BirdLife International and the [Barolo Shearwater](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barolo_Shearwater) which breeds in the Azores (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain) of [Macaronesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaronesia) in the North Atlantic has yet to be accorded a threatened status. A 2008 review considered by ACAP identified the [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3937) Yelkouan Shearwater as a potential candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement.  The species, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, has been the recent subject of conservation-orientated research and a [workshop](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/sardinian-workshop-reassesses-yelkouan-and-corys-shearwater-populations-in-the-mediterranean), as regularly reported over the last year in *ACAP Latest News*([click here](https://www.acap.aq/component/option,com_search/ordering,/searchphrase,all/searchword,Yelkouan)). The [EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/Content/LIFEPROJECTS/life_yelkouan_shearwater/1122/ ) operated by [BirdLife Malta](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/) was a European Union LIFE Nature-funded project that aimed to reverse population declines and reduce future threats facing the speciesin Malta.  Activity directed at the species is continuing as part of the [Malta Seabird Project](http://www.birdlifemalta.org/Content/LIFEPROJECTS/maltaseabirdproject/1115/).  Among the Yelkouan Shearwater's 10 or so breeding range states is France, a Party to the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. ![Yelkouan_Shearwater_Matthew_ Borg_Cardona](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Yelkouan/Yelkouan_Shearwater_Matthew_ Borg_Cardona.JPG) Yelkouan Shearwater.  Photograph by Matthew Borg Cardona Other procellariiform species listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention are the globally non-threatened ([Least Concern](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3920 )) Bulwer's Petrel *Bulweria bulwerii*, the [Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3906) Zino's Petrel *Pterodroma madeira and* the [Near Threatened](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3907) Fea's Petrel *P. feae*, all of which breed on various island groups within Macaronesia. In addition "all Hydrobatidae" (storm petrels) are listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention.  Four species of storm petrels breed within Europe (defined here as including the Macaronesian island groups): Leach's *Oceanodroma leucorhoa*, Madeiran *O. castro*, European *Hydrobates pelagicus*and White-faced *Pelagodroma marina.* None is considered globally threatened ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciessearchresults.php?reg=&cty=&cri=&fam=19&gen=0&spc=&cmn=&hab=&thr=&bt=&rec=N&vag=N&sea=&wat=&aze=&lab=&enb=&mib=&hdnAction=ADV_SEARCH&SearchTerms=)). Selected references: Austin, J.J.; Bretagnolle, V. & Pasquet, E. 2004.  A global molecular phylogeny of the small *Puffinus* shearwaters and implications for systematics of the Little-Audubon's Shearwater complex.  [*Auk* 121: 847-864](http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1642/0004-8038(2004)121%5B0847:AGMPOT%5D2.0.CO%3B2). Cooper, J. 2010.  *A brief review of the conservation status of shearwaters* Calonectris *and* Puffinus.  Fifth Meeting of the Advisory Committee Mar del Plata, Argentina, 13-17 April 2010.  [AC5 Inf 15](https://www.acap.aq/meeting-documents/english/advisory-committee/ac5/ac5-information-papers). 7 pp. Cooper, J. & Baker, G.B. 2008.  Identifying candidate species for inclusion within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.  [*Marine Ornithology*36: 1-8](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/36_1/36_1_1-8.pdf) + appendices. Heidrich, P., Amengual, J.F. & Wink, M. 1998.  Phylogenetic relationships in Mediterranean and North Atlantic shearwaters (Aves: Procellariidae) based on nucleotide sequences of mtDNA.  [*Biochemical Systematics and Ecology* 26: 145-170](http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institute/fak14/ipmb/phazb/pubwink/1998/8.%201998.pdf). John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 7 January 2013