---
title: "Today is the Fourth World Seabird Day"
---

# Today is the Fourth World Seabird Day

 ![Great Auk](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Great_Auk.jpg)

 *Great Auk*

 The Fourth World Seabird Day takes place today, the date of the last known sighting of the extinct [Great Auk](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/22694856)*Pinguinis impennis* on 3 July 1844**.**"Seabird scientists, managers and enthusiasts from around the world commemorate this date to raise awareness of the continuing conservation threats to seabird populations, worldwide"

 The allied [World Albatross Day](https://acap.aq/world-albatross-day/introduction-to-world-albatross-day) was held for the [second time](https://acap.aq/world-albatross-day/wad2021-ensuring-albatross-friendly-fisheries) on 19 June this year with the theme  “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries”.  The large number of albatrosses and petrels killed by fisheries was the main driving force for the establishment of the Albatross & Petrel Agreement two decades ago and addressing this continuing conservation problem remains an important part of ACAP’s ongoing work.  In May 2019 ACAP's [Advisory Committee](https://acap.aq/en/documents/advisory-committee) at its [most recent meeting](https://acap.aq/en/documents/advisory-committee/ac11) held in Brazil declared that a [conservation crisis](https://acap.aq/en/latest-news/3324-acap-s-advisory-committee-declares-a-conservation-crisis-for-albatrosses-and-petrels) continues to be faced by its [31 listed species](https://acap.aq/resources/acap-species), with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying every year as a result of fisheries operations. To increase awareness of this crisis ACAP inaugurated a [World Albatross Day](https://acap.aq/en/latest-news/3328-acap-proposes-a-world-albatross-day-to-increase-global-awareness-of-the-conservation-crisis-facing-albatrosses-and-petrels), to be held annually from 2020 on 19 June, the date the Agreement was signed in 2001.

  *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 July 2021*