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Currently the Albatross and Petrel Agreement lists 29 species of albatrosses and petrels of the genera Macronectes (giant petrels) and Procellaria on its Annex 1 (click here).

Previous meetings of ACAP have discussed whether threatened shearwaters of the genera Calonectris and Puffinus should be added to the Agreement (see AC3 Doc 18 and AC5 Inf 15).  These discussions considered that the Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus (a Critically Endangered species endemic to Spain) was a strong candidate for inclusion under the Agreement.

The Government of Spain has now advised the Secretariat of its intention to nominate the Balearic Shearwater for listing under Annex 1 of the Agreement.  To assist Parties in their consideration of this request, Spain has produced a Species Assessment for the Balearic Shearwater (see AC6 Doc 31).

The assessment was compiled by Carles Carboneras, a consultant to the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, with inputs to drafts from members of the ACAP Secretariat and from others.

In accordance with Article IX, 6a of the Agreement, the Sixth Meeting of the Advisory Committee, to be held next month in Guayaquil, Ecuador, is requested to provide advice to the Meeting of the Parties to ACAP on the scientific and/or technical merits of listing the Balearic Shearwater on Annex 1 of the Agreement.

Click here to access recent publications on the Balearic Shearwater, including an international Action Plan compiled by José Manuel Arcos and commissioned by the European Commission.

Reference:

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.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 July 2011