The Albatross and Petrel Agreement has chosen the theme "Plastic Pollution" to mark the fourth World Albatross Day, to be celebrated on 19 June 2023.  This follows the inaugural theme “Eradicating Island Pests” in 2020, “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries” in 2021, and “Climate Change” last year.

Albatrosses are affected by a range of pollutants, of which plastics, whether ingested and then fed to chicks or causing entanglements, are certainly the most visible and well known to the general public.  However, albatrosses face other significant pollutants, including heavy metals, (such as mercury) and POPs (persistent organic pollutants, such as insecticides).

Two new albatross species are being used to feature the theme for this year’s World Albatross Day, with artworks, posters, infographics and a music video.  These are the globally Endangered Northern Royal Albatross D. sanfordi, endemic to New Zealand, and the abundant and widespread Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris.  In addition, coverage is being given again to last year’s featured species, the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses of the North Pacific, which ingest more plastic (and then feed it to their chicks) than do the southern hemisphere species.

Six posters featuring selected artworks produced by Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) have been chosen from a total of 75 artworks of the four featured albatrosses produced by 31 artists in a collaboration with ACAP for World Albatross Day 2023.  The posters, that all depict plastic pollution affecting albatrosses, are being made freely available, in the three ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish below for printing during the build up to World Albatross Day on 19 June.  ACAP requests it be acknowledged in their use for conservation purposes.  They should not be used for financial gain.

Click here to view a set of 12 WAD2023 photo posters in nine languages.

With grateful thanks to ABUN artists Griselle Chock, Patricia Latas, Izzy Niesen, Holly Parsons, Snah and Rosana Venturini for their support of albatross conservation.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. Last updated 14 June 2023