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

Graeme Elliott & Kath Walker (Department of Conservation, New Zealand) have reported to the Department's  Conservation Service Programme on their most recent field trip to study globally Endangered and Nationally Critical Antipodean Albatrosses Diomedea antipodensis on Antipodes Island.

The report’s abstract follows:

“The Antipodean wandering albatross Diomedea antipodensis antipodensis has been in decline since 2007. The decline appears to be driven in large part by high female mortality, though reduced breeding success and increased recruitment age have exacerbated the problem.

Difficulty reaching Antipodes Island in the 2019/20 summer meant field studies were undertaken much later than usual, and the COVID-19 pandemic meant less than two weeks was spent on Antipodes Island, from 15–28 March 2020. As a result, assessment of 2019 nesting success (59%) was a little coarser than previously and the chicks had all fledged before we arrived to band them. It also meant that birds which visited Antipodes Island to breed but failed early, or which left the island early after failing to find their usual breeding partner, were not recorded. This included birds wearing satellite transmitters in 2019 whose survival after their transmitters stopped working could not be verified.

Only 75 pairs nested in the study area in 2020, amongst the lowest recorded, but female survival in 2019 had increased over previous years, at least amongst non-breeding females. Breeding female survivorship in 2019 was at an unsustainable 74%, though this estimate was likely affected by the late timing of Antipodes Island fieldwork in 2020. There is so far, no evidence of the sustained improvement in female survival necessary for the population to recover.

Since 2009 there has been an estimated 1,000 “extra” deaths per year of adult albatrosses over and above their normal mortality, and if the mortality rate amongst younger pre-breeding birds is similar, then approximately 1,300 “extra” deaths per annum also occurred amongst younger birds. This suggests that since 2004 about 15,000 “extra” adults have died, and about 20,000 “extra” pre-breeding birds, of which about 70% have been female.

Forty satellite transmitters were deployed in mid-March 2020, 25 on females (10 breeding) and 15 on males (7 breeding). Half were battery-powered and the remaining 20 transmitters were solar-powered. Most of the birds were adults which had bred before, but nine were relatively young female pre-breeders (7–11 years old). This deployment aims to identify fishing fleets with high levels of spatial and temporal overlap with Antipodean wandering albatrosses in 2020.”

 Kath Walker and Graeme Elliott on Antipodes Island, with a curious Antipodean Albatross

Reference:

Elliott, G. & Walker, K. 2020.  Antipodean wandering albatross: satellite tracking and population study Antipodes Island 2020.  Wellington: Conservation Services Programme, Department of Conservation.  54 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 October 2020

Black Petrel, a species suggested for assessing post-release survival, photograph by Kirk Zufelt

 Mike Bell (Wildlife Management International) has produced a final report for the Conservation Service Programme of the New Zealand Department of Conservation that recommends satellite tracking injured seabirds following accidental capture by fishing vessels to ascertain their post-release survival.

The report’s executive summary follows:

“This report reviews methodologies and tracking devices used to study seabird survival and assesses their suitability for development of a future field-based project to determine post-release survival rates.  With recent technological advances the use of miniature satellite tracking devices was determined to be the most effective method to assess the fate of released seabirds following accidental capture by fishing vessels.  A range of operational, biological and environmental factors may constrain a tracking study of injured seabirds.  Some of these factors have the potential to significantly impact the likelihood of successfully monitoring the post-release survival, and these are discussed.

Assessment of the health of live seabirds that have interacted with fishing vessels will first need to be carried out to select suitable individuals to track survival and ensure tracking maximises identifying cryptic mortality rates.  Individuals with severe injuries that will not survive, and those with no injuries that will likely survive, should not be tracked.  Birds with moderate injures where survival probability is uncertain should be tracked, as these provide the best opportunity to understanding true cryptic mortality rates.  To achieve this a “Seabird Heath Assessment Tool” has been developed to guide future research.

It is recommended that a review be undertaken of existing seabird injury data, held by Fisheries NZ (FNZ) as recorded by fisheries observers on Observer Protected Species Interaction (PSI) forms, and electronic monitoring (EM) video footage, to categorise (using the health assessment tool presented here) and investigate the number, nature and extent of injuries sustained by seabirds returned alive at-sea, in order to refine the following field-based recommendation.

Considering the above factors, a field-based programme utilising satellite tracking with Teleonics TAV series Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) is recommended as the best method to assess post-release survival of seabirds that interact with commercial fisheries. Although relatively expensive, this method provides the only method which is likely to return sufficient data on behaviour and post-release survival.  Target species for tracking should include control groups (healthy seabirds), medium sized seabirds (i.e. black petrel, flesh-footed shearwater, and Buller’s shearwater) in FMA1 and FMA9, and albatross species in FMA5 and FMA6. The study should aim to track ≥30 birds from each group which would likely require a 3-5 year study period.”

Reference:

Bell, M.D. 2020.  Investigation of options for assessing the post-release survival of seabirds that interact with commercial fisheries in New Zealand.  Final Report for project INT2019-06 prepared by Wildlife Management International Ltd for the Conservation Service Programme, Department of Conservation. 33 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 October 2020

Balearic Shearwater at sea

The Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus endemic as a breeding species to the western Mediterranean with an at-sea distribution that includes the waters of Morocco and Tunisia is caught as bycatch by longline fisheries.  An opportunity to help conserve this ACAP-listed species with an imminent application deadline in two days’ time has been brought to the attention of ACAP Latest News today.  Information on the consultancy with the Medbycatch Project from BirdLife International follows.

“BirdLife International seeks to hire a consultant on part-time basis to support coordination of Med-Bycatch Project in Morocco and Tunisia.  The Mediterranean Bycatch Project is a partnership between ACCOBAMS, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Special Protected Areas/Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC), International Union for the Conservation of Nature-Mediterranean (IUCN-Med), BirdLife International, WWF, and Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET).  It aims to improve knowledge, build capacity and develop tools needed to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean. The on-the-ground activities involve implementing standardised data collection and testing mitigation measures towards effectively reducing single and multi-taxa bycatch, through a collaboration approach between national fisheries institutes, local NGOs and fishers and fishing associations. The project plans to leverage change across the Mediterranean countries on the issue of incidental catch of vulnerable species, including through communication and advocacy activities with the fishing industries and decision-makers.”

The consultant will monitor the implementation of project activities by the BirdLife Partners in Morocco and Tunisia (including through participation in regular coordination calls with other project partners).

• Provide technical inputs and support in relation to the organisation of bycatch observer trainings, production of technical reports presenting the results of the bycatch observation programme, organisation of national roundtable meetings, development of communication materials.
• Support BirdLife Partners in Morocco and Tunisia to develop organisational strategies for engagement on sustainable fisheries and marine conservation to inform their work beyond the end of the MAVA funding.
• Ensure timely submission of technical and financial reports by the BirdLife Partners in Morocco and Tunisia.
• Facilitate information exchange and knowledge sharing between the West Africa Bycatch project team and the Med Bycatch project partners.

Proficiency in oral and written English and French required; application deadline: 14 October 2020; start date November 2020; flexi working arrangement, including the option of working from home.  Application that describes the individual’s core competencies and qualifications to undertake the tasks, including examples of previous work undertaken in the last five years, plus cover letter, detailed CV and a financial quote should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Read full details here.

Information from Stephanie Prince, High Seas Programme Manager, BirdLife International Marine Programme.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 October 2020

The Fifteenth Meeting of the Compliance Committee and Extended Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) are being held online from 08 to 16 October (instead of in Sapporo, Japan as originally intended) due to travel restrictions and health considerations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On the agenda for the Compliance Committee is a proposal to enhance education on and implementation of Ecologically Related Species seabird measures within CCSBT fisheries.

Anton Wolfaardt, ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group Co-convenor, is attending the two meetings representing the Agreement.  In his opening statement Anton stated that bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries is one of the greatest threats to seabirds, particularly albatrosses and petrels.  At its last meeting in May 2019 (AC12), ACAP's Advisory Committee declared that a conservation crisis continues to be faced by its 31 listed species, with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying every year as a result of longline fishing operations.  He went on to emphasize that despite extensive efforts by ACAP and other bodies that have been put into researching, recommending and supporting effective bycatch mitigation measures to address seabird bycatch in fisheries, in many instances these are not being implemented or are not being fully implemented.  Non-compliance in the proper use of seabird bycatch mitigation measures adopted by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) responsible for high-seas tuna fisheries, including the CCSBT, is identified as a critical issue.  Within jurisdictions where implementation of effective mitigation measures and appropriate enforcement has occurred, reductions in seabird bycatch have been demonstrated, sometimes dramatically so and without perceived detrimental consequences arising.

A bird-scaring line deployed behind a longliner in the South Atlantic, photograph from Sebastián Jiménez

He ended ACAP’s statement by saying that the Agreement is keen to work with the CCSBT and its members to address these critical issues, and is strongly supportive of the proposal being developed by BirdLife International and CCSBT members to enhance implementation of seabird mitigation measures within CCSBT fisheries.  According to BirdLife International’s Albatross Task Force the proposal should lead to improved training on seabirds for the fishing industry and fishing observers, as well as develop electronic monitoring for seabirds, such as by deploying on-board cameras, to ascertain if fishing vessels are implementing the required CCSBT mitigation measures.

With thanks to Anton Wolfaardt.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 October 2020