Six globally Endangered and Nationally Critical Antipodean Albatrosses Diomedea antipodensis reported killed as bycatch by a New Zealand longlining vessel in the Bay of Plenty region in December and January have engendered concern among both governmental and NGO circles within the country.  One of the birds was of the Gibson's subspecies D. a. gibsoni.

The same fishing vessel also caught a Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri (Near Threatened) and two globally and nationally Vulnerable Black Petrels Procellaria  parkinsoni.  The deaths were recorded by a Fisheries New Zealand observer aboard the vessel.

Antipodean Albatross at sea, photograph by Mike Double

New Zealand Conservation Minister Hon. Eugenie Sage, MP is reported as commenting on the deaths: “existing measures to reduce the risk to seabirds include weighting lines so they sink faster, setting them at night, and using bird scaring lines. Using all three together is international best practice but is obviously not enough …”.  She is also reported as saying “the industry could use innovations such as hook-shielding devices to cover the point and barb of the hook when longlines were set so seabirds cannot be hooked and drowned”.  The Minister has called for the fishing industry to show leadership over the issue.

Read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 February 2019

Monitored Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis and their chicks breeding on private properties along the northern shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai survived falling trees from gale-force winds caused by a Cold Core Low (a type of cyclone) on 10 February.

The Kaua’i Albatross Network, which monitors the birds (87 eggs were counted in 2013/14) states “There was one very close call with a downed tree, but most of the debris was small branches”.  It seems most if not all the fallen trunks and branches were from non-native trees introduced from outside the Hawaiian Islands, including Ironwood Casuarina equisetifolia and Albizia Falcataria moluccana, both of which are susceptible to strong winds.

Narrow escape: an Ironwood falls right next to a breeding Laysan Albatross on Kauai, photograph by Hob Osterlund

Laysan Albatrosses breed below sometimes closed-canopy stands of introduced Ironwoods on Sand Island, Midway Atoll, although at lower densities than in open areas. As on Kauai, the fallen needles that cover the ground below the trees are used as nesting material.  The Ironwoods on Midway are prone “to toppling over in high winds, crushing nesting birds below. Control and removal of C. equisetifolia on Midway Atoll NWR has focused on trees that pose a hazard to buildings and on “hot spot” areas to prevent further expansion of the species” (click here).  In addition on Midway “Albatross get caught in the trees and can't free themselves.  If they don't die on impact, they die soon after getting tangled in the branches.” (click here).

A Laysan Albatross dies entangled in an Ironwood on Midway Atoll, photograph by Jaymi Heimbuch

On Midway, efforts have been made to remove trees in the areas most needed as habitat for breeding albatrosses.  . All the Ironwoods have already been removed from the atoll’s Eastern Island (which also supports breeding albatrosses).

With thanks to Jeanine Meyers, Hob Osterlund and Kim Steutermann Rogers.

Reference:

Arata, J.A., Sievert, P.R. & Naughton, M.B. 2009.  Status assessment of Laysan and black-footed Albatrosses, North Pacific Ocean, 1923-200.  U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5131.  80 pp. (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 February 2019

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is soliciting pre-proposals for projects that will provide demonstrable benefits to globally threatened or Data Deficient seabirds on the IUCN Red List by restoring breeding colonies within the Americas (defined as North, Central and South America, including Hawaiian and Caribbean Islands).  A total of USD 100 000 is available for a desired four projects.

The ABC has provided a “target” list of 22 threatened seabird species eligible for funding.  Seventeen of these are procellariiforms; the only ACAP-listed species is the globally Critically Endangered Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata.  Notably, the list includes seven species of storm petrels, most categorized Data Deficient.  The ACAP-listed and globally Vulnerable Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus is not listed as a candidate species for funding.

Waved Albatross over its hatching egg, photograph by Kate Huyvaert

Pre-proposals must be submitted online in English or Spanish by 15 March.  Full proposals will be called for on 22 March.

Read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 February 2019

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) is currently undertaking field work on sub-Antarctic Auckland Island this austral summer to inform the planned pest eradication project that aims to rid the island of its feral pigs and cats and House Mice.  Field work is planned to continue into March (click here for an earlier posting on the planned field work).

Over the 2018/19 summer, 40 field workers on the island have been conducting four main research programmes that have been designed to support and test various eradication methods.  These are:

Infrastructure (pig-proof fencing, cutting tracks, hut installation)

Feral pigs (helicopter-borne thermal imaging to aid to aerial hunting; ground hunting with dogs, baited traps)

House Mice (non-toxic bait take up to inform minimum bait density for an aerial poison drop in summer)

Feral cats (live-capture and leg-hold trapping, GPS collars to track movements, tracking with dogs)

White-capped Albatrosses on Auckland Island are at risk to pigs, photograph by David Thompson

“On top of these four programs this summer, the team is also installing a suite of biodiversity monitoring tools to measure the impact of the three predators on the island and to estimate the potential benefits of their removal. A dedicated team of GIS experts are using high definition satellite imagery and drones to help plan the infrastructure programme from the comfort of their office. Teams of experts are looking at developing new control methods, for example a cat targeted toxin which could be distributed by air, something that we don’t currently have in New Zealand.”

Read more details of the current field work here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 February 2019