Pronatura México is the largest environmental conservation group in Mexico and is a national affiliate of BirdLife International.  Founded in 1981, the organization is a network of regional chapters covering 32 Mexican states. focused on promoting science-based conservation models that enable human progress and move towards environmental sustainability.  The regional chapters share Pronatura’s mission of the conservation of the flora, fauna and priority ecosystems of Mexico, and promoting society's development in harmony with nature.  Pronatura heads conservation projects and activities in 56 areas of importance for bird conservation (IBAs) in Mexico, as well as in other areas of conservation priority (click here).

Claudia Macías, Deputy Director of Conservation, Pronatura Sur writes to ACAP Latest News: “Pronatura, Mexico's BirdLife partner, offers its support for World Albatross Day on 19 June”.

Claudia Macías, Deputy Director of Conservation, Pronatura Sur

Claudia Macías’ colleague, Eric Hernández Molina, Biodiversity and Landscape Monitoring Coordinator/Coordinador de Monitoreo de Biodiversidad y Paisajes, Pronatura Sur adds: “In Mexico, this wonderful group of birds mainly inhabits the Pacific Ocean and breeds on islands hundreds of kilometres from the coast.  They are birds little known by most people.  However, they are severely affected by the large amounts of solid and plastic materials that are discarded in the ocean, which can float for thousands of kilometres.  It is time to make a change from plastic to natural materials, decrease our consumption, recycle and promote appropriate public policies on the management of solid and liquid waste.  These are necessary actions to help recover populations of albatrosses and thousands of other species. worldwide.”

 Eric Hernández Molina, Biodiversity and Landscape Monitoring Coordinator/Coordinador de Monitoreo de Biodiversidad y Paisajes, Pronatura Sur

Plastics found in the stomach of an albatross, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, photograph by Eric Hernández Molina

“En México este maravilloso grupo de aves habita principalmente el océano pacífico y se reproduce en islas a cientos de kilómetros de las costas.  Son aves poco conocidas por la mayoría de la gente, sin embargo, son afectados severamente por las grandes cantidades de materiales plásticos y sólidos que son desechados en los océanos, los cuales pueden flotar por miles de kilómetros.  Taparroscas, cepillos de dientes, juguetes, frascos y otros objetos plásticos, son encontrados en los estómagos de las aves marinas.  Es tiempo de realizar un cambio de materias plásticas por materias naturales, disminuir nuestro consumo, reciclar e impulsar políticas públicas apropiadas sobre el manejo de desechos sólidos y líquidos, son acciones necesarias para ayudar a recuperar las poblaciones de los albatros y de otras miles de especies alrededor del mundo."

Although not a Party to ACAP, Mexico has attended Agreement meetings as a breeding range state.  Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis (Near Threatened) breed in small numbers on four Mexican islands, where another Mexican environmental NGO, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. (GECI), has worked to conserve them by removing introduced pests.

 With thanks to Eric Hernández Molina and Claudia Macías Caballero, Pronatura Sur, Mexico.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 June 2020

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) has been in existence for over 50 years and has treated almost 100 000 seabirds, mostly Endangered African Penguins, but also over 35 different species of other seabirds and coastal birds.

SANCCOB’s mission is to reverse the decline of seabird populations through the rescue, rehabilitation and release of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds.  SANCCOB is also active in protecting seabird colonies and works closely with its partners (including government, conservation authorities and like-minded NGOs) in advocating the protection of seabirds in the wild and securing food availability.

Nola Parsons bands a Shy Albatross at SANCCOB's Cape Town rescue centre in 2012, photograph by SANCCOB

SANCCOB mostly admits South African coastal species, such as African Penguins, Cape Gannets, gulls, terns and cormorants for rehabilitation.  But the excitement is great when we do admit an albatross species.  Unfortunately, they mostly come in very weak or with fisheries-related injuries.  Over the last 20 years, SANCCOB has admitted 22 albatrosses of six different species (Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed, Black-browed, Grey-headed, Shy and Sooty).  Most of these birds were released after a few days in care as albatrosses do not do well in rehabilitation and are much better off out in the wild.  SANCCOB is looking forward to celebrating the first World Albatross Day this month and wishes ACAP and all its partners a successful year ahead.

Getting an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross ready for an X-ray in 2019, photograph by David Roberts, SANCCOB

An Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross with bandages to treat bumblefoot in 2019; the bird was successfully released back into the wild, photograph by Marzia Antonellil

Dr Katta Ludynia, Research Manager, SANCCOB, Cape Town, South Africa, 12 June 2020

Adopted in the list of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 as a Type II initiative which is informal and voluntary, the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership was launched on 6 November 2006.  The Partnership aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitats and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.  There are currently 37 Partners including 18 countries, six intergovernmental agencies, 11 international non-governmental organizations (iNGOs), one international organization and one international private enterprise.  The EAAFP developed the Flyway Site Network of international importance for the conservation of migratory waterbirds, in which 147 sites had joined the network as of 8 June 2020.  There are seven Working Groups and nine Task Forces to facilitate conservation work in the flyway.

The EAAFP Seabird Working Group (SWG) was established in 2007 to assist in the coordination of conservation activities across the flyway through promoting, facilitating, coordinating and harmonizing seabird conservation, education, and research activities.

Robb Kaler, Chair, EAAFP Seabird Working Group

Robert (Robb) Kaler, Chair of the SWG, writes to ACAP Latest News:

“The largest of seabirds, albatrosses are masters of gliding flight, sailing over the ocean for hours with no perceptible movement of their outstretched wings.  Behavioural and physiological adaptations allow albatrosses to forage at great distances from their nesting areas on isolated and remote islands.  Some albatross species were heavily hunted on their breeding islands for the feather trade during the early 1900s and populations were seriously reduced.  Albatross populations have bounced back but continue to be impacted by interactions with longline fisheries and exposure to marine pollution and plastics.  With support from international initiatives such as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), which encourages participants to join the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (ACAP), we will ensure that future generations will have a chance to see these and the other amazing ocean wanderers which connect us and our oceans.”

Read more of EAAFP’s support for ‘WAD2020’ here.

With thanks to Vivian Fu, Communication Officer, East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 June 2020

“Apocalyptic Nightmare” by ACAP Executive Secretary, Christine Bogle

With just one weekend to go, this is the last call to get your baking mojo going and submit an entry to the inaugural World Albatross Day Great Albicake Bake Off by close of day on Monday 15 June.

Announced on 20 May and with over 25 entries already received, all the cake images and descriptions will be sent to the three judges early next week with the hope that the winners in each category can be announced on or shortly after World Albatross Day on Friday 19 June.

Christine Bogle, ACAP’s Executive Secretary, has rallied to the call, baking and decorating her own albicake entitled “Apocalyptic Nightmare”.  She describes her cake - which is not being entered into the competition - as follows:

“Herewith my apocalyptic nightmare.  The chick is based on a photograph of a Black-browed Albatross chick by Kim Kliska.  In my nightmare it is attacked by four small mice while a giant mutant mouse looks on, having already taken a bite.  The chick is a coconut gluten-free cake, the nest is a flour-less chocolate and cardamom cake, the big mouse is a gluten-free chocolate cake, the small mice are prunes, the chick’s bill is crafted from liquorice, the red blood is raspberry jam.”

The cake and the photograph that inspired it

There are three other ‘WAD2020’ competitions currently on the go, a Colouring-in Competition, the World Albatross Day Banner Challenge, with public voting now underway via Facebook, and a Photographic Competition on Instagram.  Why not try your hand at all four?

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 June 2020