Notifications of HPAI outbreaks to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in Procellariiformes (updated 5 November 2023). ACAP Parties are marked in blue.

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels’ Intersessional Group on High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5N1 has released an updated version of ACAP’s Guidelines for working with albatrosses and petrels during the high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 panzootic.

An extract follows:

“Relevant information on high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1

1. The current panzootic wave of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 started in 2021 and has killed millions of seabirds worldwide. 

2. HPAI H5N1 viruses spread to South America in late 2022 and have since caused mass mortality of seabirds and marine mammals. 

3. HPAI H5N1 viruses have arrived in sub-Antarctic islands in October 2023, but not yet in mainland Antarctica. The situation may change rapidly. 

4. Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand, is the only remaining region of the world free of this virus, but this situation may also change rapidly. 

5. By the end of October 2023 no mass mortality events of procellariiform birds have been attributed to HPAI H5N1; however, these species are susceptible to infection and could be vulnerable to future outbreaks. 

6. Birds infected by HPAI H5N1 viruses typically show one or more of the following disease signs: atypical behaviour, neurological signs, conjunctivitis, and respiratory distress. 

7. The virus is transmissible to humans, but risk is currently considered low.”

In commenting on the overall scenario and the updated guidelines, Patricia Serafini, Co-convenor of the Agreement’s Population and Conservation Status Working Group (PaCSWG) and member of the ACAP Intersessional Group said: "High pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI), caused by the virus H5N1, results in rapid and high mortality in infected wildlife groups. Researchers and authorities have been engaged in studying and understanding the impacts of this ongoing panzootic since the first ACAP guidelines on HPAI were released in 2022, and a lot of new information has been released. Migratory bird species arriving to the Southern Ocean (mostly between September and November) could transmit HPAI to the region, coinciding with the arrival of breeding seabirds, including ACAP species. Furthermore, it is possible that the virus could survive in the environment beyond the austral summer. Considering the present global panzootic scenario and the new information available, experts from several countries have been engaged together in an ACAP intersessional group to update and provide managers and ACAP Parties with the most up-to-date guidance for surveillance, monitoring, and response for HPAI outbreaks that might occur this season."

Reference:

Serafini, P.P.; Vanstreels, R.E.T.; Uhart, M.; Dewar, M.; Wille, M.; Roberts, L.; Black, J.; Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G.; Baker, H.; Michael, S.; Gartrell, B.; Gamble, A.; Younger, J.; Lopez, V.; Work, T. 2023. Guidelines for working with albatrosses and petrels during the high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 panzootic. Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), 11 pages. Available from https://www.acap.aq/resources/disease-threats/avian-flu

13 November 2023

32 seabird species were identified as occurring in the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) management area, including the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis

Keith Reid (Ross Analytics Pty Ltd, Tasmania, Australia) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems on fisheries management bodies integrating non-target species impact into their regulatory frameworks, focusing on the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).

Figure 1 from the paper: The Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement Area with subareas labelled numerically, important geographic features mentioned in the text are labelled.

The paper’s abstract follows:

1. Fisheries bycatch has been identified as the most serious threat to many seabird species and there is an increasing awareness of the responsibility of fisheries management bodies to include the impact on non-target species in their management and regulatory frameworks.
2. In 2022, an ecological risk assessment (ERA) for seabirds and fisheries was presented to the Scientific Committee of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). This ERA identified 32 seabird species that regularly occurred in the SIOFA Area, of which 11 were determined as being at high risk. This high-risk group included 10 albatross species that have the greatest likelihood of interacting with SIOFA managed fisheries in Subareas 1, 2 and 3b (west of 40° E) where they overlap with the pelagic longline fishery.
3. Although the pelagic longline fishery for Ruvettus pretiosus is the largest fishery under the auspices of SIOFA, in terms of catch and number of vessels, the existing management measures of SIOFA focused on demersal fisheries and did not include any mitigation requirements for pelagic longlines. In response to the outcomes of the ERA, a proposed amendment to SIOFA's management measures was presented by France to the Meeting of Parties of SIOFA and led to the revision of SIOFA's seabird bycatch mitigation measures in respect of pelagic longlines, making them consistent with those agreed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.
4. Regulatory diffusion, the increased likelihood of adoption of regulation by one agency if that regulation has been adopted by another agency, contributed to the relatively rapid transition from the identification of the risk posed by pelagic longline vessels to the change in regulations to address those risks in SIOFA.

Reference:

Reid, K., Baker, G.B. &  Delord, K. (2023).  Ecological risk assessment in the southern Indian Ocean: Towards better seabird bycatch mitigation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems,  33(11),  1218–1228. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4006

10 November 2023

Shy Albatross in flight, by Wendell Ribeiro, Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature, 2020

Peter Ryan & Oluwadunsin Adekola (FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Douth Africa) have published in Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology on moult of White-capped/Shy Albatrosses Thalassarche steadi/cauta killed in South African waters.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Albatrosses typically only replace a subset of flight feathers each annual moult cycle. We scored the moult of 662 White-capped/Shy Albatrosses Thalassarche steadi/cauta, using birds that had been killed by longline fisheries off South Africa. Most adults and immatures alternated replacing the outer primaries (phase 1) and inner primaries (phase 2), but there was considerable variation among adults, with 0–10 primaries replaced each moult cycle. Birds in phase 1 moult replaced fewer primaries than birds in phase 2, but the proportion by mass was similar. Adults replaced more primaries than immatures as there was a disproportionate number of adults in phase 2 moult (82%), which might indicate that most adults off South Africa are in their first year after a successful breeding attempt, but a similar bias occurred among beached birds from New Zealand and Australia. The outer primaries were usually replaced outwards from P8, but the replacement sequence was more variable among the inner primaries. Secondary moult overlapped with primary moult, but not all secondaries were moulted each year. Adults had more active moult centres and replaced more secondaries at once than immatures. Tail moult started after primary moult, with 1–11 feathers growing from 1–6 active centres. Some birds replaced their rectrices in pairs, with often 2 or 3 pairs moulting at once, but others replaced alternate feathers or almost all rectrices at once. A few birds exhibited intense wing moult, but the norm was to replace only 1 or 2 primaries and 1–6 secondaries at once. Age- and sex-related differences in moult intensity presumably result from different time constraints. Adult White-capped/Shy Albatrosses take a year off between successful breeding attempts, allowing time for a more protracted moult. However, we cannot explain the intense moult in some immatures. Our findings support recent studies showing that albatross flight feather moult patterns are more varied than previously reported.”

Reference:

Ryan, P.G. & Adekola, O.E 2023. Pattern and intensity of moult in White-capped/Shy Albatrosses Thalassarche steadi/cauta. Ostrich: 10.2989/00306525.2023.2263169.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 09 November 2023

(Photos left - right) Agustina with Dr Ingrid van Putten from the CSIRO and with Dr Christine Bogle on her visit to the ACAP Secretariat in Hobart

Argentinian PhD student, Agustina Iwan is nearing the completion of her ACAP Secondment in Australia. Agustina’s project, titled, “Socio-ecological Approach to the Problem of Seabird Bycatch in Commercial Fisheries in Argentina", aims to shed light on the human element of seabird conservation, focussing specifically on the barriers and opportunities for fishers in implementing conservation measures to reduce the incidental death of seabirds in commercial fisheries. 

Commercial fisheries pose the biggest threat to seabirds, with hundreds of thousands of seabirds dying each year from interactions with fishing gear, especially during longline- and trawl-fishing operations. Whilst technical solutions to reduce seabird bycatch in fisheries exist, such as those contained in ACAP’s Best Practice Advice, Agustina’s research proposes that without understanding the perceptions, culture, and customs of individuals, impactful uptake of mitigation measures may remain elusive. 

During her five months in Australia Agustina has collaborated with researchers specialising in human behaviour and conservation management who have helped her apply qualitative analysis tools and approaches to the in-depth interviews she conducted with stakeholders in Argentine fisheries. 

Researchers at two host institutions have welcomed Agustina during her time in the country: Dr Brock Bergseth, DECRA Research Fellow at James Cook University’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Dr Ingrid van Putten, Adjunct Senior Researcher at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).  Agustina has also had the opportunity to work with researchers from the Centre for Marine Socio-ecology at the University of Tasmania.

Speaking about Agustina’s time at James Cook University, Dr Brock Bergseth said: “Agustina was a very motivated, driven, and resourceful visitor and made the most of her time at James Cook University. During her visit, she made considerable progress in analysing her data, conceptualising and situating her research within the larger field, and in building her professional networks. Agustina was a very welcome addition to the lab group – we enjoyed hosting her and would happily welcome her back in the future.”

At CSIRO in Tasmania, Agustina was able to share her knowledge of Argentine fisheries with Dr Ingrid Van Putten, who has a keen interest in behavioural factors in conservation management. In commenting about Agustina’s secondment, she acknowledged the differences in the fisheries of Australia and Argentina, but pointed to the human element as being universal to both, saying: “the complexity of fisheries and conservation issues may vary between places around the world, but understanding human behaviour is essentially key everywhere. If we want the adoption of conservation measures, studies like the one Agustina is doing, are going to help tremendously. Agustina has managed to unpick and better understand the issues using sophisticated social science analysis tools. I am impressed with the work and hopefully work with her and her team in Argentina again in the future.”

Seeing the sights! Agustina enjoying a walk in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania (left), and taking in Wallaman Falls, in the Girringun National Park, Queensland (right).

The project aligns closely with ACAP's objective to maintain a favourable conservation status for its listed species. By providing insights into the current situation in Argentinean fisheries, her research hopes to provide valuable insights and practical recommendations for industry stakeholders, government institutions, and other relevant parties. 

In expressing her excitement about the project, Agustina emphasised her eagerness to learn and contribute to global conservation efforts: “Working on aspects of marine conservation is stimulating to me because I think it's about contributing, even in a very small way, to inhabiting this planet in a more conscious way. Having had the opportunity to stay in Australia has been very enriching for my project and my doctorate, particularly working with Brock Bersgeth and Ingrid Van Putten. Both are professionals with a long history in marine social science and conservation issues and are also part of institutions and teams where interdisciplinary work is common practice. I have felt very well received and accompanied.”

Agustina’s project represents a vital step forward in addressing the complex issue of seabird bycatch in Argentine commercial fisheries. Her secondment not only contributes to the crucial field of seabird conservation but has also fostered cross-party collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building within ACAP Parties. By combining scientific research with social sciences approaches, her project has the potential to drive positive change, promote sustainable practices, and enhance the conservation efforts of ACAP and its partners. 

08 November 2023