Ian Hay has long been involved with the Albatross and Petrel Agreement. He was part of the Australian Delegation to its early meetings, including the Second Negotiation Meeting held in Hobart, Australia in July 2000. He then led the Interim Secretariat at the First Meeting of Parties, again held in Hobart, in November 2004. He attended the next three MoPs, first as an Advisor, and then as Head of the Australian Delegation, in New Zealand in 2006, Norway in 2009 and Peru in 2012. He has also attended several of the Agreement's Advisory Committee meetings, again leading the Australian Delegation.
Ian has now taken leave of government service, taking retirement from the Australian Antarctic Division earlier this month, and as a consequence has stood down as Australia's National Contact Point for the Agreement and as a member of its Advisory Committee.
Ian Hay (right) chats with Barry Baker (Convenor, ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group) at the Fifth International Albatross and Petrel Conference held in Wellington, New Zealand in August 2012
Photograph by John Cooper
In informing ACAP of a change in Australian representation to ACAP Ian wrote:
"I would like to thank the large number of ACAP participants - national contact points, the ACAP Executive, AC and WG members and many other contributors - who, over many years, have generously extended their professional and personal support. It has been a pleasure to be involved in ACAP and to see ideas from the first round of pre-treaty negotiations grow into the current, highly regarded, expert organisation. I've greatly appreciated your expertise, hard work and friendship over that period and the significant improvements made to the conservation of seabirds. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours, in both ACAP and elsewhere."
In response the ACAP community wishes Ian all the very best in his well-earned retirement and thanks him heartily for his varied and valued inputs to the Agreement over a period of more than a decade. His expertise will indeed be sorely missed.
ACAP takes pleasure in welcoming Australia's new National Contact Point who is replacing Ian: Jonathan Barrington of the Australian Antarctic Division.
Warren Papworth, Executive Secretary, Marco Favero, Chair, Advisory Committee & John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 October 2012