IAC Executive Secretary, Dr Verónica Cáceres Chamorro (left) and ACAP Executive Secretary, Dr Christine BogIe (right), hold up the signed MOU renewal. The Ambassador of Ecuador to the U.S.A., Ms Ivonne A Baki sits to the right of Dr Verónica Cáceres Chamorro

La Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CIT, Dra. Verónica Cáceres Chamorro (foto de la izquierda) y la Secretaria Ejecutiva del ACAP, Dra. Christine BogIe (foto de la derecha), presentan el Memorándum de renovación firmado. Junto a la Dra. Verónica Cáceres Chamorro está la Embajadora de Ecuador en EE.UU., Sra Ivonne A Baki

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) and the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC) have renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) first signed in December 2019, reaffirming their commitment to cooperate in the conservation of albatrosses and petrels, and sea-turtles.

ACAP Executive Secretary, Dr Christine BogIe, and IAC Executive Secretary, Dr Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, signed the renewal at a hybrid ceremony hosted by the Ambassador of Ecuador, Ms Ivonne A Baki, at the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington D.C. Ecuador is the current Chair of the IAC Conference of the Parties. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Bogle said, “ACAP is particularly pleased to renew this cooperation arrangement with a fellow intergovernmental conservation organisation, given our shared objectives. Albatrosses and petrels face similar threats to those of sea turtles, meaning there is considerable scope for cooperation and information sharing.”

Accidental death resulting from interactions with fishing gear, especially during longline-fishing operations is a significant threat to albatrosses and petrels, and sea-turtles. In signing the MOU, the two organisations agreed to: consult, cooperate and collaborate with each other on areas of common interest that are directly or indirectly relevant to the conservation, including the protection and recovery of populations of albatrosses and petrels, and sea turtles. 

Remarking on the significance of the renewal in facilitating its conservation objectives, Dr Verónica Cáceres Chamorro said, “The MOU will strengthen scientific research in bycatch mitigation methods. We will learn from our experiences to improve data collection regarding interactions with fisheries, and the implementation of best practices. This will provide valuable support to decision makers in our member countries.”

ACAP’s Advisory Committee Chair, Dr Mike Double commented on the important contribution of IAC and ACAP experts in progressing the conservation objectives of the MOU when participating as observers at each other’s meetings. He further noted scope to cooperate as observers in discussions at relevant meetings of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), where bycatch related measures are discussed.       

Ecuador’s Minister for the Environment, Mr Gustavo Manrique, who addressed the ceremony via a pre-recorded video, praised IAC and ACAP for their unwavering conservation work, stating, “Both initiatives have been an example of how to articulate consistent and efficient work to fight against one of the most pressing challenges the world faces today: the rapid loss of its biodiversity.” 

The IAC Secretariat and dignitaries from IAC member countries based in Washington D.C. attended the ceremony in person, whilst ACAP representatives and officials from IAC member countries of Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Argentina joined the ceremony via Zoom. 

 En español:

El Acuerdo sobre la Conservación de Albatros y Petreles (ACAP) y la Convención Interamericana para la Protección y Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas (CIT) han renovado el Memorándum de Entendimiento (MOU) firmado por primera vez en diciembre de 2019, reafirmando así su compromiso de cooperar en la conservación de albatros y petreles, y tortugas marinas.

La Secretaria Ejecutiva del ACAP, la Dra. Christine BogIe, y la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CIT, la Dra. Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, firmaron la renovación en una ceremonia híbrida organizada por la Embajadora de Ecuador, la Sra. Ivonne A Baki, en la Embajada de Ecuador en Washington D.C. Ecuador es el actual Presidente de la Conferencia de las Partes de la CIT. 

En su intervención en la ceremonia, la Dra. Bogle declaró: «ACAP está sumamente complacido con la renovación de este acuerdo de cooperación con otra organización intergubernamental de conservación, dados los objetivos que compartimos. Los albatros y petreles se enfrentan a amenazas similares a las de las tortugas marinas, lo que significa que hay un margen considerable para la cooperación y el intercambio de información.»

Los accidentes mortales como consecuencia de las interacciones con artes de pesca, especialmente durante las operaciones de pesca con palangre, son una amenaza significativa para los albatros y petreles, así como para las tortugas marinas. Con la firma del Memorándum de Entendimiento, las dos organizaciones han acordado: consultarse, cooperar y colaborar entre sí en áreas de interés común que sean relevantes tanto directa como indirectamente para la conservación, incluida la protección y recuperación de las poblaciones de albatros y petreles, y de tortugas marinas. 

La Dra. Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, destacando la importancia de la renovación del Memorándum para facilitar sus objetivos de conservación, declaró: «El Memorándum fortalecerá la investigación de medidas de mitigación. Aprenderemos de las experiencias comunes para mejorar la colecta de datos de captura incidental de ambas taxa, y la implementación de mejores prácticas en las pesquerías que las impactan.  Lo anterior brindará valiosos aportes a los tomadores de decisiones en nuestros países parte.»

El Presidente del Comité Asesor del ACAP, el Dr. Mike Double, comentó sobre la importante contribución que los expertos del IAC y del ACAP hacen al promover los objetivos de conservación del Memorándum cuando participan como observadores en las reuniones de la otra organización. Además, señaló la posibilidad de cooperar como observadores en las conversaciones de las reuniones pertinentes de las Organizaciones Regionales de Ordenación Pesquera (OROPs), en las que se debaten medidas relacionadas con las capturas secundarias.       

El Ministro de Medio Ambiente de Ecuador, D. Gustavo Manrique, quien se dirigió a los asistentes a la ceremonia a través de un video pregrabado, elogió a la CIT y al ACAP por su inquebrantable labor de conservación, afirmando que «ambas iniciativas han sido un ejemplo de cómo articular un trabajo coherente y eficaz para luchar contra uno de los retos más acuciantes a los que se enfrenta el mundo en la actualidad: la rápida pérdida de su biodiversidad.» 

La Secretaría de la CIT y los dignatarios de los países miembros de la CIT con sede en Washington D.C. asistieron a la ceremonia en persona, mientras que los representantes de ACAP y los funcionarios de los países miembros de la CIT de Brasil, Chile, Guatemala, Perú, Ecuador, República Dominicana, Costa Rica, México y Argentina se unieron a la ceremonia a través de Zoom. 

15 February 2023

Black-browed Albatrosses display at sunset on New Island, South Atlantic, photograph by Georgina Strange

The Albatross and Petrel Agreement has chosen “Plastic Pollution” as its theme to mark the fourth World Albatross Day, to be celebrated on 19 June 2023.  This follows the inaugural theme “Eradicating Island Pests” in 2020, “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries” in 2021 and “Climate Change” in 2022.

Two new albatross species are being used to feature the theme for this year’s World Albatross Day, with artworks, posters, infographics and a music video.  These are the globally Endangered Northern Royal Albatross D. sanfordi, endemic to New Zealand, and the abundant and widespread Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris  In addition, coverage is being given again to last year’s featured species, the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses of the North Pacific, which ingest more plastic than do the southern hemisphere species.

ACAP is pleased to release the first six of a planned 12-poster series.  Designed by Bree Forrer, ACAP’s Communications Advisor, they depict photographs of Black-browed and Northern Royal Albatrosses, taken by field researchers who know their birds well and so are able to capture aspects of their private lives in compelling portraits.

A Northern Royal Albatross broods its downy chick at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand, photograph by Oscar Thomas

The 12 posters in English (with French and Spanish versions to come) are being made freely available for printing during the build up to World Albatross Day on 19 June.  ACAP requests it be acknowledged in their use for conservation purposes.  They should not be used for financial gain.  Click here for the first six English posters in high-resolution versions.

With grateful thanks to photographers Sharyn Broni, Georgina Strange, Erin Taylor, Oscar Thomas and Michelle Thompson for their support of albatross conservation.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 14 February 2023

An ACAP-listed Balearic Shearwater in flight; photograph by Pep Arcos

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is almost upon us and this year ACAP is encouraging all procellariiform admirers to get involved and boost the number of ACAP-listed species in the count. 

The GBBC is a great example of citizen science, providing researchers with a valuable snapshot of global bird populations. This year marks the 26th Anniversary of the annual event, taking place over four days from Friday 17 February to Monday 20 February. Participants are asked to spend a minimum of 15 minutes (there is no maximum) on one of more of the four days, recording the birds they observe before submitting their checklist online at birdcount.org. 

During the 2022 GBBC, 21 out of 31 ACAP-listed species were represented, with over 600 individual birds reported to the count from participants located across the globe including: Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Ecuador, the Falkland Islands*, New Zealand, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands*, Spain and the U.S.A. 

The location,species and number of individual ACAP-listed birds reported to the 2022 Great Backyard Bird Count; sourced from birdcount.org

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an initiative of The Cornell Lab, the National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. More information on the GBBC including how to participate can be found at birdcount.org.

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.

13 February 2023

A Black-footed Albatross with its chick on Midway Atoll: photograph by Wieteke Holthuijzen

Lindsay Young and Eric VanderWerf (Pacific Rim Conservation, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) have published in the journal Pacific Science on the status of seabird populations vulnerable to climate change in the U.S. Tropical Pacific and conservation management activities most likely to benefit those species most at risk.

The paper’s abstract follows, 

“The U.S. Tropical Pacific (USTP) is a globally important area for seabirds with tens of millions of individuals of 32 species breeding in the region. The two greatest threats to breeding seabirds in the USTP are inundation of colonies caused by global climate change and non-native predators. We assessed the status of seabird species breeding in the USTP and which species would benefit most from restoration activities. We scored each species for nine criteria that reflected their extinction risk and vulnerability to climate change and invasive predators, then summed the scores of all criteria to obtain an overall score and ranked the species in terms of overall conservation need. The top five species at risk (in order) were Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), Newell’s Shearwater (Puffinus newelli), Polynesian Storm-Petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa), Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba), and Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes). We also assessed 86 locations in the USTP as potential source and restoration sites for seabirds to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and invasive predators. Some restoration actions are underway for three of the top five species in the USTP, but more actions are needed. Two of the top species (Polynesian Storm-petrel and Phoenix Petrel) occur primarily outside the USTP. Actions within the USTP are needed to complement existing conservation measures underway elsewhere in the Pacific and should be prioritized for future management actions.”

Reference: 

Young, L.C., & VanderWerf, E.A. 2022. Prioritization of Restoration Needs for Seabirds in the U.S. Tropical Pacific Vulnerable to Climate Change. Pacific Science 76(3), 247-265.  https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/879573.

10 February 2023