Meritxell Genovart (Population Ecology Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Spain) and colleagues have published in the journal Global Change Biology on effects of bycatch on survival of Scopoli's Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Marine megafauna, including seabirds, are critically affected by fisheries bycatch. However, bycatch risk may differ on temporal and spatial scales due to the uneven distribution and effort of fleets operating different fishing gear, and to focal species distribution and foraging behaviour. Scopoli's shearwater Calonectris diomedea is a long-lived seabird that experiences high bycatch rates in longline fisheries and strong population-level impacts due to this type of anthropogenic mortality. Analyzing a long-term data set on individual monitoring, we compared adult survival (by means of multi-event capture-recapture models) among three close predator-free Mediterranean colonies of the species. Unexpectedly for a long-lived organism, adult survival varied among colonies. We explored potential causes of this differential survival, by: (1) measuring egg volume as a proxy of food availability and parental condition; (2) building a specific longline bycatch risk map for the species; and (3) assessing the distribution patterns of breeding birds from the three study colonies via GPS tracking. Egg volume was very similar between colonies over time, suggesting that environmental variability related to habitat foraging suitability was not the main cause of differential survival. On the other hand, differences in foraging movements among individuals from the three colonies expose them to differential mortality risk, which likely influenced the observed differences in adult survival. The overlap of information obtained by the generation of specific bycatch risk maps, the quantification of population demographic parameters and the foraging spatial analysis should inform managers about differential sensitivity to the anthropogenic impact at mesoscale level and guide decisions depending on the spatial configuration of local populations. The approach would apply and should be considered in any species where foraging distribution is colony-specific and mortality risk varies spatially.”

Scopoli's Shearwater, photograph by 'Pep' Arcos

Reference:

Genovart, M., Bécares, J., Igual, J.M., Martínez-Abraín, A., Escandell, R., Sánchez, A., Rodríguez, B., Arcos, J.-M. & Oro, D. 2017. Differential adult survival at close seabird colonies: the importance of spatial foraging segregation and bycatch risk during the breeding season. Global Change Biology doi: 10.1111/gcb.13997.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 November 2017

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels has established a Secondment Programme for the purpose of building capacity within its Parties and as a means of achieving tasks within the current work programmes of its Advisory Committee (see Annex 4, AC10 Report) and Secretariat (see AC10 Doc 18). Applications are now sought to undertake a secondment under the ACAP Secondment Programme during 2018. Funding is available for travel and living costs associated with secondees undertaking a placement at a host organisation, including the Agreement’s Secretariat in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Entrance to the ACAP Secretariat office suite in Hobart, Australia

It is expected that the proposed secondment will meet the following criteria:

1. The work to be undertaken addresses a task identified in the Advisory Committee’s or Secretariat’s Work Programme, and/or is deemed to be of high importance to achievement of the Agreement’s objectives.

2. The task proposed is international in nature (e.g. the outcomes will be of relevance to more than one country).

3. The task to be undertaken has a capacity-building focus.

4. The funds allocated will be primarily used for travel, accommodation and per diem costs. Funds will not be used for the purpose of paying salaries. It is expected that the applicant’s institution will continue to pay the applicant’s salary.

5. The applicant has received in-principle agreement from the host organisation to host this work.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant Working Group Convenor, the Advisory Committee Chair, Vice-chair or the Secretariat (click here to access names) to discuss their proposal. Secondment Application Forms are available in all Agreement languages from the ACAP web site (click here).

As agreed by AC10, applications will only be accepted from ACAP Parties. Proposals are to be submitted by the relevant ACAP National Contact Points to the ACAP Secretariat.

Applications open on Friday, 1 December 2017 and must be received by the Secretariat by close of business on Friday, 2 March 2018. Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by Friday, 6 April 2018.

French and Spanish texts are also available.

ACAP Secretariat, 04 December 2017

Last week Mexico declared a large Marine Protected Area arounds it Revillagigedo Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The 150 000-km² MPA will be closed to fishing, oil and gas extraction and and development for tourism in the area; recreational diving will be allowed (click here).

The Reserva de la Biosfera Archipiélago de Revillagigedo, made up of four islands, and its surrounding waters were inscribed as a Ramsar Wetland Site of International Importance in 2004 with an area of 636 685 ha. Two of the four islands, Clarión and San Benedicto, support small breeding populations of globally Near Threatened Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses. The island group has been a Biosphere Reserve from 1994 and was made a World Heritage Natural Site in 2016.

An incubating Laysan Island on Clarion Island, photograph by Andrea Angel/Ross Wanless 

The islands are uninhabited except for a small Mexican naval presence.  Read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 December 2017

Two colour-banded Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis, female KP163 and male O289, both lost their mates when the fenced area at the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on the Hawaiian island of Oahu was entered at night and breeding birds killed and eggs smashed by intruders in December 2015. Following an extended period, three young individuals were arrested and following a court case, the intruder who was adult at the time received a prison sentence (click here).

The two widowed birds, O289 and KP163, pair up

The male O289 takes the first incubation shift

Two years later, and after missing a single breeding season the widowed birds have formed a pair and laid an egg. Lindsay Young of Pacific Rim Conservation, a non-profit organization which monitors the birds (and was instrumental in having the area fenced against predators) states that “many albatrosses will mate for life, so when one mate dies, it can take years for the widowed bird to find a new mate”. So with only one year off, the newly paired birds are contributing to the recovery of the globally Near Threatened Laysan Albatross in the reserve.

After killing incubating birds and smashing eggs a night-time intruder is caught exiting by a trail camera, photograph courtesy of Pacific Rim Conservation

With thanks to Lindsay Young, Pacific Rim Conservation.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 November 2017