Wedge-tailed Shearwater chick in the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation

Within the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Kauai Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica now breed inside a predator-proof fence protected from feral pigs.  As a consequence, breeding success has increased markedly since the last pigs were eradicated, as reported recently by Pacific Rim Conservation on its Facebook Page.

“Back in July, our team found, grubbed, and marked 600 active ‘Ua‘u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) nests across the refuge, and a few weeks ago we revisited each one to determine final nest outcomes.   In 2022, prior to the mammalian exclusion fence construction, apparent nest success was 58%. This year, with pigs successfully eradicated, and cat and rodent eradications underway, the overall apparent nest success was 78%!”

A feral pig within the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge feeds on a Wedge-tailed Shearwater in October 2024, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation (click here)

“This marks our fourth year of monitoring Wedgie nesting success at Kīlauea Point.  Over time, this dataset will help us understand how nesting success responds to predator management and how it varies across the refuge’s diverse habitats.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 18 November 2025

A pair of Flesh-footed Shearwaters, photograph from the Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden

The Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden reports on Facebook that the Near Threatened Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carnepeis has expanded its breeding grounds on Phillip Island (190 ha) offshore of Norfolk Island, an External Territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and the French Territory of New Caledonia,

“Once only found near Red Knoll, about 20 pairs have now been discovered by long-term seabird researchers Nicholas Carlile and Terry O’Dwyer in a new forest patch near the track from Parks Hut to Owen Evans’ camp”, identified by their distinctive calls at night.

“From October to May, these birds return to reunite with partners, spruce up burrows, and mate.  Their growing numbers are more than just a rare sighting, as they play a vital role in island regeneration, enriching soil with ocean nutrients through their guano.”

The Flesh-footed Shearwater was identified at a 2019 ACAP meeting as a species for listing on the Agreement’s ANNEX 1 but as yet no formal proposal has been made to the Parties.

The bird has been well studied, especially in relation to ingested plastic, on Lord Howe Island (click here).  The species has also been studied in New Zealand.

It has been proposed that the species be renamed the Sable Shearwater; Pale-footed is also an option.

Read about petrels on Phillip Island here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 17 November 2025

 A Lumo Lead®, photograph from the publication

Sung Il Lee (Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management on at-sea trials using Lumo Leads® to reduce seabird bycatch by Korean tuna longliners.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Bycatch threatens albatrosses and petrels, prompting all tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations to require bycatch mitigation measures in areas overlapping high seabird densities.  In the Southern Hemisphere, and with one exception of the IATTC, tuna longliners south of 25°S in Indian and Atlantic oceans and south of 30°S in western Pacific Ocean must use at least two of the following three measures: night setting, bird-scaring lines, and branch line weighting.  Adding weights is complex, and carries concerns about negative impacts on target species catch rates and crew safety.  From 2013 to 2016, we tested the effects of Lumo Lead® on seabird bycatch, target catch rates, and safety aboard seven Korean tuna longliners.  Trials involved 358,649 unweighted and 468,476 weighted lines (40–60 g, 0–200 cm from the hook) across 483 sets.  The seabird bycatch rate in weighted branch lines was significantly lower than that in unweighted branch lines (p < 0.001).  There was no difference in catch rate when targeting southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) and a slight difference for yellowfin tuna (T. albacares).  The catch rate of albacore tuna (T. alalunga, ALB) on weighted branch lines was significantly lower (p < 0.001).  No safety incidents were reported during the experiment.  The reduced ALB catch rate may reflect fishermen's inexperience with line weighting, but this requires further investigations.  Results suggest the Lumo leads are a safe, effective seabird mitigation measure for Korean longliners but line weighting alone cannot eliminate bycatch and should be used with bird-scaring lines or night setting.  More broadly, these findings provide lessons for pelagic longline fisheries globally, showing that safe and practical line weighting can be integrated into existing operations to support sustainable fisheries management and seabird conservation.”

With thanks to Yuna Kim, Seabird Project Coordinator, BirdLife Australia.

Reference:

Lee, S.I., Kim, Y., Rollinson, D.P., Wanless, R.M., Kitakado. T. & Kim, D.N. 2025.  The experimental trials of line weighting options for reduction of incidental mortality of seabirds in Korean tuna longline vessels.  Ocean & Coastal Management 272.  doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108001.

Four fishing hooks and fishing line are visible in this X-ray of a Salvin’s Albatross, photograph by Ruben Aleman, Fundación Juvimar

A juvenile Vulnerable Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche salvini, has recovered following surgery after swallowing four large fishing hooks and metres of fishing line off the coast of Ecuador.  “Thanks to a quick-thinking local fisher in Ecuador and a dedicated team of vets and conservationists, the bird underwent life-saving surgery and was safely released back into the wild.”

The hooked Salvin’s Albatross, photograph by Ruben Aleman, Fundación Juvimar

One of the removed hooks and tangled fishing line, photograph by Ruben Aleman, Fundación Juvimar

“The juvenile Salvin's Albatross was found by Juan Alberto Infante, a fisherman from Anconcito, Ecuador, who recognized that the bird was unwell and contacted local authorities.  The albatross was under wildlife rehabilitation care in Puerto López after the ingested hooks and fishing line were successfully removed by Ruben Aleman, a local veterinarian with Fundación Juvimar.  After careful evaluation, it was released in late October on a nearby beach in Manabí province.  Thanks to the timely report from an artisanal fisher, we were able to rescue this Salvin's Albatross that had been grounded for several days in the port of Anconcito, said Giovanny Suárez Espín, Ecuador Seabird Bycatch Coordinator for American Bird Conservancy (ABC).  Through coordination with Ecuador's Ministry of the Environment's local representative (REMACOPSE) and a specialized veterinarian, we successfully removed four fishing hooks from the bird, including one that caused injuries to its esophagus.  The type and size of the hooks suggest they came from the artisanal mahi-mahi [Coryphaena hippurus] fishery, which poses a risk to albatrosses. 

The juvenile Salvin’s Albatross in captivity, photograph by Ruben Aleman, Fundación Juvimar

Watch a video about the Salvin’s Albatross’ capture, treatment and release here.

Information from a detailed report by the American Bird Conservancy, with additional information from the Facebook Groups of the American Bird Conservancy and the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Read about a Salvin's Albatross rehabilitated in New Zealand by Auckland Zoo here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 13 November 2025