From left: Jimmy Breeden, Kelly Goodale, Elaine Beaudoin, Joanna Morelli, Nicole Faber, Joey Latsha, Emily Jankowski, William Kennerley, Jon Plissner, Tim Clark, Virginie Ternisien, Tristen Luxner, Suzanne Pluskat, Alex Chmielewski, Amanda Boyd and Stephen Barclay, 29 February 2020; photograph by Amanda Boyd

Back in January ACAP Latest News featured a group of volunteers visiting Midway Atoll’s uninhabited Eastern Island in the North Pacific for the annual albatross count.  While on the island they signalled their support for the inauguration of World Albatross Day on 19 June this year by gathering for a photo behind their hand-drawn sign made by volunteer Caren Loebel-Fried.

During her time on Midway, Caren requested that a similar photo be taken on the larger inhabited Sand Island with the atoll’s combined conservation team.  In response no less than 16 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) volunteers, interns and staff, Pacific Rim Conservation staff and Island Conservation staff gathered last month in front of the refuge sign on Sand Island holding up four sheets of paper printed with  the words WORLD ALBATROSS DAY 19 JUNE 2020.  A look at the photo shows that a seemingly bashful Laysan Albatross centre stage has turned its back on the camera, no doubt waiting patiently for peace and quiet to return.  Many more Laysans can be seen gathered for the breeding season in the background.

ACAP Latest News is appreciative of the conservationists on Midway finding time to gather in support of ‘WAD2020’, especially as there is a lot going on at the atoll this year to keep them all busy.  Most important will be the effort set to take place in a few months’ time to eradicate the introduced House Mice that have taken to attacking breeding albatrosses on Sand Island (fortunately Eastern Island remains mouse free).

And of course, among the hundreds and thousands of albatrosses that breed on the atoll to look after there are two world-famous pairs of albatrosses to keep a watchful eye over: 69-year old Laysan Albatross Wisdom and her mate Akeamakai (currently on a ‘gap year’) and George and Geraldine, the only Short-tailed Albatross pair that breeds successfully outside Japan - whose current chick, their second, is growing apace.

 Wisdom & Akeamakai, 2015, photo by Kiah Walker

George & Geraldine, 2018, photo by Madelein Riley

Recognition of World Albatross Day has also come from the Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge which supports conservation work on the atoll (click here).

With thanks to Stephen Barclay, Acting Manager, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Caren Loebel-Fried.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 March 2020

Eva-Cherie Artz is a self-taught artist based in Owenga on New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, working predominantly with dry pastel and acrylics.  She is a Chatham Islander with both Maori and Moriori heritage.  On her website she has written: “Drawing on my experiences at sea and life on the Chatham Islands, I’m inspired by seascapes, bird and fish life, as my ancestors were.  My works represent a spiritual connection with the land and sea, using defining shapes to portray my subjects and the blending of colour to symbolise emotion and a character’s aura".

Eva-Cherie Artz with examples of her "Silent Slaughter - Chatham Albatross" series

Her ‘muse’ is the globally Vulnerable (and nationally Naturally Uncommon) Chatham Albatross Thalassarche impavida.  This albatross, endemic to New Zealand, breeds only on The Pyramid, an imposing rocky stack situated south of Pitt Island in the Chatham Island group.

At ACAP Latest News’ request, Eva-Cherie has produced two evocative paintings of Chatham Albatrosses in her "Silent Slaughter" series to mark the inauguration of  World Albatross Day on 19 June.  She writes: “The Hook represents the hazards and perils Chatham Albatrosses face when they are at sea on their life’s journey; the Tear Drop of blood represents the sadness of the fatalities and the birds that never return home; the Rainbow represents treasure and how valuable the albatrosses are to me and to the rest of the world; and the Pyramid represents their home, a small rugged island in the Chatham Islands group.”

View more of Eva-Cherie Artz’s art here.

With grateful thanks to Eva-Cherie Artz

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 March 2020

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is working with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers, environmental managers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research by way of annual funding opportunities.

SCAR, COMNAP and IAATO have launched fellowships for early-career researchers.  In 2020, COMNAP and IAATO will each offer one fellowship with funding of up to USD 15 000 each, and SCAR will also offer three to four fellowships of up to USD 15 000 each.  The fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons.

The SCAR, COMNAP and IAATO schemes are launched in conjunction with the CCAMLR Scientific Scholarship Scheme.  The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD 30 000 to assist early-career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years.  The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long term.

All schemes are being jointly promoted by the four organisations.

The deadline for COMNAP and IAATO fellowship applications is 31 May 2020.

The deadline for SCAR fellowship applications is 26 August 2020.

The deadline for CCAMLR scholarship applications is 1 October 2020.

For more information, please visit the websites of SCAR, COMNAP, IAATO and CCAMLR.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 March 2020

Bird-scaring line design for Uruguayan trawlers, from Resolution No. 040/2020

Marcel Calvar of the Uruguayan National Directorate of the Environment (Dirección Nacional de Medio Ambiente, Ministerio de Vivienda, Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente) - and ACAP National Contact Point - has recently informed ACAP of a new resolution aimed at reducing the mortality of seabirds in trawl fisheries in his country.  Resolution No. 040/2020 of the National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca) of 27 February 2020 requires “Fishing vessels belonging to “Category A” (operating outside the Río de la Plata in the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fisheries Zone, aimed at catching hake Merluccius sp. and its accompanying fauna by bottom trawls with gates) must deploy two bird-scaring lines either side of the net cables or warps to prevent seabirds contacting the fishing gear.”  Marcel adds that the measure has been taken in view of the poor global conservation status of several species of seabirds, including albatrosses and other seabirds belonging to the order Procellariiformes.

A Uruguayan bird-scaring line attempts to keep Black-browed Albatrosses away from the trawl cables

Technical specifications for the bird-scaring lines, along with recommendations on their use and construction, are included in an Annex to the Resolution.  The lines must be deployed from the trawler’s stern with a minimum length of 30 m and at least two metres either side of the trawl cables.  The attached streamers must be long enough to reach the sea surface under calm conditions, be constructed of irrigation hose and spaced at intervals of two to three metres.  A buoy is to be attached to the end of the bird-scaring line to keep tension when in use.

The Resolution also requires trawlers to carry spare lines in good condition, with enough material on board for their maintenance.  Further, fishing vessels may not use network sonar cables – a known source of seabird mortality.  The Resolution will take effect from 01 June 2020.

With thanks to Marcel Calvar.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 March 2020