End in sight? Andrea Angel holds a Tristan Albatross close to death after being attacked by mice on Gough Island, photograph by Ross Wanless

The latest news from the Gough Island Restoration Project (GIRP) reports good progress with the effort to rid the island of its predatory House Mice that attack and kill the chicks (and as recently reported, adults) of the near endemic and Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena, as well of other seabirds that breed on the island.

The GIRP Facebook page says on 24 June “The first island-wide distribution of bait has been completed! This is an important milestone for the project, but we still have a long way to go, now fingers firmly crossed for good weather windows for the second application!”  With the commencement of bait dropping reported on 14 June, it seems it took only 10-11 days to drop bait over the whole of the 65-km² island.  The eradication team with helicopters and bait arrived on the island aboard South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas II on 3 June, with offloading competed and the ship departing for Cape Town on the 10th so it can be said things have been moving apace.  ACAP offers its best wishes for the second bait drop (which usually commence around two weeks after the first drop is completed) and hopes for an island free of mice, allowing recovery of the island ecosystem to commence.

A recent GIRP Facebook post informs that the main communication system on the island is currently down, so messages are not getting through at the moment.  “We want to pass on a message that everyone is safe and well and will be in contact as/when we manage to re-establish the lines.”  In this case, then a case of no (or little) news is good news.

Access the latest (No. 8, May 2021) and earlier editions of Island Restoration News, the GIRP newsletter here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 June 2021

A Tristan Albatross family, artwork by Di Roberts after photographs by Tom McSherry and Michelle Risi

As for nearly all international meetings affected by the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, the Twelfth Meeting of ACAP’s Advisory Committee (AC12) will be held virtually from 30/31 August to 1/2 September 2021 (depending on where you are in the world).  Meetings of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group, and the Population and Conservation Status Working Group will precede AC12: SBWG10 from 16/17 to 18/19 August, and PaCSWG6 from 23/24 to 24/25 August 2021.

Further information is now available in AC12 Circular 5 in the three official ACAP languages of English, French and Spanish,  The circular provides information om the timing and length of the meetings, the conference manager and platform chosen for the meeting, provides ad hoc meeting guidelines for approval by AC Members, and advance information about technical arrangements and the desirability of early registration.

Congress Rental has been chosen to manage the technical aspects of the meeting, which will use the Interprefy platform.  Interprefy enables “relay interpretation” (involving multiple languages – three in the case of ACAP).  Congress Rental will be responsible for providing technical advice to Chairs, Convenors, Secretariat, interpreters and other participants in advance of the meetings (including technical training on the use of the platform).  It will assist the ACAP Secretariat in the preparations for the meeting, and the technical training, if participants could register using the online form by 17 July.

ACAP Secretariat, 25 June 2021

Laysan Albatrosses on Midway Atoll; the USA supports 97% of the global population

US Congressmen Alan Lowenthal (Democrat, California) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican, Pennsylvania) have once more introduced a bipartisan bill to the House of Representatives  - this time on 22 June just three days after World Albatross Day - to enable the United States to become a Party to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.

The full press release from the office of Congressman Alan Lowenthal follows:

“Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), today, joined by 20 House colleagues, introduced legislation to protect imperiled seabirds from international fishing threats while increasing ongoing seabird conservation efforts in the United States and abroad.

The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act would implement the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), an international conservation agreement that has been signed by 13 member countries since 2001 and covers 31 species of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters. Despite previous calls by President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama to ratify the agreement, the Senate has yet to vote on the agreement.

“This is a critical opportunity for the United States to resume its leadership role in international conservation efforts,” Congressman Lowenthal said. “It is vital that we implement the ACAP to encourage other nations to adopt strong conservation standards and also in order to take steps to ensure that foreign fishing vessels follow international conservation measures that protect endangered seabirds.”

Many albatross and petrel species are listed among the most threatened seabirds in the world because of habitat loss and fisheries bycatch (unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species), but the U.S. has been a leader in reducing fisheries bycatch.

“Serving as good stewards of our environment and working to ensure endangered species can be protected and repopulated is something each of us are called to regardless of location, background or political ideology,” Congressman Fitzpatrick said. “This bill will help reduce habitat destruction, minimize marine debris, and slow the spread of invasive species. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in support of this bipartisan legislation and urge others to join us in the defense of endangered species.”

The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act ties together existing U.S. laws and statutes without substantially changing current laws in order to implement the international agreement.

The legislation would also authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to implement fisheries conservation measures, increase international fisheries enforcement, restore habitat, reduce non-native species, develop educational programs, and cooperate internationally on conservation efforts.”

Congressman Lowenthal has made two previous attempts in 2016 and 2019 during earlier administrations to have an Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act passed (click here).

 Read the full text of the 2021 bill to enable the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act.

Read earlier and current reporting by the National Audubon Society on the efforts by the USA to become a Party to ACAP.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 June 2021

Ready to fledge: a translocated Black-footed Albatross rests betweem two adult decoys; photograph by Leilani Fowlke, Pacific Rim Conservation

The first Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes (Near Threatened) of the current cohort of translocated and hand-reared chicks fledged from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on the morning of 19 June – World Albatross Day.  The previous year’s cohort also fledged its first on 19 June!

“This is the fifth, and final year of Black-footed Albatross translocations in the hope of establishing a new colony on an island safe from predicted sea level rise.”

Read more about the translocation programme in ACAP Latest News and here.

Meanwhile over on Mexico’s Isla Guadalupe, the first translocated Black-footed Albatross fledged just a few days before last Saturday’s World Albatross Day (click here).

The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge may not be the first locality on Oahu where Black-footed Albatrosses commence breeding.  It might be in the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve as early as next year (click here).

News from the Facebook page of Pacific Rim Conservation.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 June 2021