Vote Toroa!

“Vote for Antipodean albatrosses in Bird of the Year 2020 to help save the species”.  So says the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust in a media release this week.

It’s Bird of the Year (‘BOTY2020’) competition time again in New Zealand and with only one day left to go you can still vote for the Endangered Antipodean Albatross or Toroa Diomedea antipodensis.  Vote here by clicking "Pick me" on five bird photos in your order of preference.  Voting is open until 17h00 (New Zealand Standard Time), Sunday 15 November.

The trust continues in its release: “This magnificent bird is in grave danger of extinction from longline fishing, especially from fleets operating in waters beyond New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  The Department of Conservation has just released new estimates that show 35,000 Antipodean albatrosses have lost their lives since 2004.  More females than males are dying because they feed in the danger zones where there is intensive fishing.  A tragedy is unfolding on the breeding grounds - year after year so many male birds return to the island and wait at their nest for a mate who will never return.” says Janice Molloy, Convenor, Southern Seabirds.

“But it’s not too late to turn this around – the population can recover. And unlike many environmental problems this one has a solution. The challenge is getting the solutions used, and a groundswell of public interest will help convince fishers to make the effort.  If the Antipodean albatross wins Bird of the Year, we can honestly say to the fishing companies that Kiwis really care about this albatross.  A vote will make a real difference.”

Antipodean Albatross at sea off Kaikoura, photograph by Kerry-Jayne Wilson

Information from Janice Molloy, Convenor, Southern Seabirds.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 November 2020

“This massive dataset is the result of the work coordinated by the University of Barcelona since 2007, and will help develop marine protected areas and marine spatial planning © Universitat de Barcelona”

A consortium of 13 local and international organisations coordinated by BirdLife International has been surveying colonies of and at-sea tracking seven species of procellariiform seabirds that breed on islands of Cabo Verde some 600 km off the west coast of Africa.  One of these species, the endemic and Near Threatened Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii, has been shown to travel eastward to inshore waters off West Africa.  From the above map it is notable that practically all of the species’ at-sea yellow tracks fall within the 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zones of Mauretania and Senegal, as well as of Cabo Verde itself.

A Cape Verde Shearwater at sea

“This means that, for the first time, we know where these birds are going to find their food and thus, plot where birds interact with fishing vessels”, explains Herculano de Andrade Dinis, the Executive Director of Projecto Vitó, a local NGOs who [sic] has been key in the research.”

Read more at “How Cabo Verde is becoming a safe haven for seabirds” and visit a website dedicated to Cabo Verde seabirds (in Portuguese).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 November 2020

SECOND UPDATE

Voting is open until 17h00 (New Zealand Standard Time), Sunday 15 November

Vote here by clicking on "Pick me" on the five photos you choose (hint: click on Antipodean Albatross as your No. 1)

The Live Ocean Charitable Trust writes "... we'd really, really like a win for our great ocean voyager, the Toroa/Antipodean albatross. The winning bird gets its moment in the spotlight and shining a light on the issues it faces at sea is seriously helpful.  The future is looking even more uncertain for this amazing seabird with recent DOC estimates being revised upwards to show we're losing 2,300 of these birds each year unnecessarily".

 Once more, BirdLife’s partner in New Zealand, Forest & Bird, is running its popular Bird of the Year competition (‘BOTY2020’).  This time three procellariform seabirds have been chosen, (along with many other New Zealand birds) as eligible to receive votes.  They are:

Antipodean Albatross or Toroa Diomedea antipodensis

Black Petrel or Taiko Procellaria parkinsoni

Hutton’s Shearwater or Kaikōura Tītī Puffinus huttonii

Both the albatross and petrel are ACAP-listed species; all three breed only in New Zealand and are considered to be globally threatened.

“Voting is based on an instant runoff voting (IRV) system.  When you vote, you can rank up to five of your favourite birds, with #1 indicating your favourite bird, #2 indicating your second favourite bird, and so on”.  Voting will be from 2 - 15 November.  Read more about the voting system here.

The globally Endangered (and Nationally Critical) Antipodean Albatross is No. 1 on the ACAP Information Officer’s voting list (as it was in 2019).  Fitting as the nominate subspecies that breeds only on Antipodes Island – where its population continues to decline – has been identified by ACAP’s Advisory Committee as a Priority Population for conservation management.  Enthusiasm in New Zealand has led to it already having its own Facebook Group – Albatross for Bird of the Year #VoteToroa.

A colour-banded Antipodean Albatross stretches its wings on Antipodes Island, photograph by Kath Walker

Read an illustrated species summary for the Antipodean Albatross written especially for this year’s inaugural World Albatross Day.

No procellariform seabird has won since the competition commenced in 2005. Time for a change?

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 September 2020, updated 02 & 13 November 2020

Illustrator Jamie Watts has produced a new poster in his albatross series, this time illustrated 12 taxa that breed in New Zealand. The adult birds are illustrated standing and in flight.

The new release comes at a good time with a just few days left to vote for the Antipodean Albatross as your No. 1 preference in New Zealand’s ‘Bird of the Year (‘BOTY 2020’) competition.  So far it seems this globally Endangered and Nationally Critical species is leading the competition.  The New Zealand NGO Southern Seabirds Solutions Trust says on its Facebook Page that if “the Toroa (Antipodean Albatross) wins it will help … to attract support for important work to improve fishing practices on high seas vessels.”

An Antipodean Albatross off Kaikoura, photograph by Kerry-Jayne Wilson

Jamie’s albatross posters (and his others including of penguins and marine mammals) are available for purchase from JamieWattsArt in two size options (50 x 70 cm and 61 x 91 cm).  He has previously informed ACAP Latest News that his posters are professionally printed on high-quality A3 satin matt photo paper from 12 to 20 megapixel, hand-produced originals and are mailed in a tube.

With thanks to Jamie Watts, who has allowed his posters to be used to help promote this year’s inaugural World Albatross Day.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 November 2020