The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has produced a detailed report on the status of seabirds in the Indian Ocean.  The report forms part of a larger study that summarizes the status of tuna and tuna-like species under the IOTC mandate, as well as other species, such as billfish, sharks and turtles, which are impacted by IOTC fisheries.

The report covers 19 seabird species, all but four being ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, reported as caught in fisheries within the IOTC area of competence.  It states that the “level of mortality of seabirds due to fishing gear in the Indian Ocean is poorly known, although where there has been rigorous assessment of impacts in areas south of 25 degrees (e.g. in South Africa), very high seabird incidental catches rates have been recorded in the absence of a suite of proven incidental catches mitigation measures.”

Amsterdam Albatross occurs in the Indian Ocean, photograph by Trevor Hardaker

The report further notes that:

the available evidence indicates considerable risk from longline fishing to the status of seabirds in the Indian Ocean, where the best practice seabird incidental catches mitigation measures outlined in IOTC Resolution 12/06 On Reducing the Incidental Bycatch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries are not implemented;

CPCs (Cooperating non-Contracting Parties) that have not fully implemented the provisions of the IOTC Regional Observer Scheme outlined in Paragraph 2 of IOTC Resolution 11/04 On a Regional Observer Scheme shall report seabird incidental catches through logbooks, including details of species, if possible; and

appropriate mechanisms should be developed by the Compliance Committee to assess levels of compliance by CPCs with the Regional Observer Programme requirements and the mandatory measures described in Resolution 12/06.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 February 2014

Robert Flood ( St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, UK) has published in the 2104 issue of Seabird, the annual journal of the Seabird Group, on moult patterns of immature Black-browed Albatross  Thalassarche melanophris based on “hundreds” of photographs of  birds taken at sea.

Black-browed Albatross at sea, photograph by John Larsen

Reference:

Flood, R.K. 2014.  Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris primary moult timing in the fourth prebasic moult.  Seabird 27: 98-103.

NOTE: the paper has no abstract and a complete PDF will be available online in May 2015.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 February 2015

Chris Perrins (Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford, UK) has published in the 2104 issue of Seabird, the annual journal of the Seabird Group, on survival of Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus banded as fledglings in the 1960s and 1970 on an island off Wales.

The paper’s abstract follows:

During an 11-year period starting in the mid-1960s, large numbers of fledgling Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus were ringed and recaptured on Skokholm Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Since it is unlikely that any more will ever be found, this paper summarises the factors that affected the chances of a fledgling surviving long enough to be recaptured on the island.  Both the date on which they were ringed and their weight at that time influenced the probability that they would be recaptured.  Some implications for the annual cycle are discussed.

Manx Shearwater fledgling, photograph by Jaclyn Pearson

Reference:

Perrins, C.M. 2014. Factors affecting survival of fledgling Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus.  Seabird 27: 62-71.

NOTE:  the complete PDF will become available online in May 2015.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 February 2015

Jacopo Cecere (ISPRA - Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Ozzano dell ’Emilia, Italy) and colleagues have published in the journal Ibis on the foraging habitat preferences of Scopoli’s Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea in the Mediterranean Sea.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The distribution of seabirds at sea is influenced by physical, ecological and anthropogenic factors such as sea depth, prey distribution, intra-specific competition and commerical [sic] fishing activities.  We quantified the foraging habitat preferences of Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Mediterranean Sea. We analysed habitat preferences in relation to a suite of physical and ecological variables including sea depth, net primary production and distance to other colonies (as a proxy of intra-specific competition).  Since the Mediterranean is heavily impacted by commercial fisheries, we also incorporated the distance to fishing harbours in our analyses as a proxy of the availability of discards which are a potential feeding source for Scopoli’s Shearwater.  Foraging birds preferred shallower waters and avoided areas close to other colonies, thereby reducing interactions with conspecifics.  We also found that long-distance trips were undertaken to areas close to fishing harbours, suggesting that these represented particularly profitable locations to compensate for the greater travelling costs involved.  No differences in foraging between the sexes were recorded.  This study improves our understanding of the at-sea distribution and habitat preference of a seabird inhabiting the over-exploited Mediterranean Sea.  Our results support growing evidence that seabirds exhibit complex relationships with commerical fishing activities, which must be considered when planning conservation programmes.”

Scopoli's Shearwater at sea, photograph by Jacob Gonzalez-Solis 

With thanks to Barry Baker for information.

Reference:

Cecere, J.G., Catoni, C., Gaibani, G., Geraldes, P., Celada, C. & Imperio, S. 2015.  Commercial fisheries, inter-colony competition and sea depth affect foraging location of breeding Scopoli’s Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea.  Ibis  doi: 10.1111/ibi.12235.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 February 2015