Ben Sullivan (Fishtek Marine, Totnes, Devon, UK) and colleagues have published early view in the journal Animal Conservation on a new mitigation measure for pelagic longliners

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Bycatch of pelagic seabird species in longline fisheries is recognized as one of the most important and pervasive sources of mortality, contributing to an increased risk of their extinction. Uptake of mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch has not been widespread by the industry. Here, we present the results of 18 at-sea trials conducted between 2011–2015 onboard pelagic longliners targeting tuna (Thunnus spp) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in South African, Brazilian and Australian waters, using a recently designed seabird bycatch mitigation device. The ‘Hookpod’ is a polycarbonate capsule that encases the point and barb of baited pelagic longline hooks to prevent seabirds from becoming hooked and drowning during line-setting operations. The assessment was based on efficacy (i.e. reducing rates of seabird bycatch without impacting target catch rate) and practicality (i.e. how the Hookpod fitted into fishing operations). We observed 59 130 experimental branchlines over 129 sets and recorded a single seabird mortality on the Hookpod branchlines compared to 24 on the control branchlines, a bycatch rate of 0.04 birds/1000 hooks and 0.8 birds/1000 hooks, respectively. No difference in catch rate of target fish species between Hookpod and control treatments was detected. These findings demonstrate that Hookpods do not negatively affect catch rate of target species and could make an important contribution to halting the decline of many seabird populations if adopted as a mitigation measure by the pelagic longline fishing industry.”

Black-browed Albatrosses - at risk to longlining, photograph by Kollette Grobler

With thanks to Susan Mvungi, Niven Librarian, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town.

Reference:

Sullivan, B.J., Kibel, B., Kibel, P., Yates, O., Potts, J.M., Ingham, B., Domingo, A., Gianuca, D., Jiménez, S., Lebepe, B., Maree, B.A., Neves, T., Peppes, F., Rasehlomi^, T., Silva-Costa, A. & Wanless, R.M. 2017. At-sea trialling of the Hookpod: a ‘one-stop’ mitigation solution for seabird bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries. Animal Conservation DOI: 10.1111/acv.12388.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 December 2017

With thanks to Michelle Jones for her photograph of a curious Sooty Albatross Phoebastria fusca at Marion Island

Marco Favero, Wiesława Misiak & John Cooper, ACAP Secretariat, 25 December 2017

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Philipp Boersch-Supan (Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA) and colleagues have published in the journal Emu Austral Ornithologyon albatross egg temperatures.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Knowledge of thermal traits is essential for understanding and modelling physiological responses to environmental change. Egg temperatures are poorly studied in most tubenose species. We employed a contactless infrared thermometer to measure egg and nest surface temperatures throughout the incubation period for four albatross species at Bird Island, South Georgia. The observed mean warm-side temperature of 33.4°C for Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) was similar to measurements obtained from this species using dummy eggs elsewhere. Observed mean warm-side temperatures for Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma), and Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata), reported here for the first time, were 30.7–31.5°C, which is lower than the egg temperatures reported for most Procellariiformes. Temperature gradients across viable eggs declined by up to 9°C during incubation, reflecting increased embryonic circulation and metabolic heat production. This suggests that bioenergetic models should not assume constant egg temperatures during embryo development. Non-viable (addled) eggs could be identified by large temperature gradients in late incubation, indicating that infrared thermometry can be used to determine whether the embryo has died or the egg is infertile in monitoring and managed breeding (e.g. translocation) programmes. Egg temperatures were correlated with ground temperatures, indicating that incubated eggs are vulnerable to environmental variability.”

An incubating Wandering Albatross on Marion Island, photograph by Linda Clokie

With thanks to Richard Phillips.

Reference:

Boersch-Supan, P.H., Johnson, L.R., Phillips, R.A. & Ryan, S.J. 2017. Surface temperatures of albatross eggs and nests. Emu Austral Ornithology doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2017.1406311.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 December 2017

Ivan Tiunov (Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Vladivostok, Russia) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity on the at-sea distribution of a Russian population of the globally Near Threatened Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Karamzin Island (the Peter the Great Bay, the East Sea) is the only nesting point of streaked shearwaters in Russian Federation. To understand and determine distribution patterns of streaked shearwaters along the Eastern Sea waters during nesting period, the Trackers WT-300 were set to 10 adult birds. Over the observation period (from 5 July 2016 to 7 January 2017), 4812 locations were registered. Analysis of data obtained revealed that main feeding points of colony studied were situated in the Peter the Great Bay along 50 m isobath and, to the less extension, near the eastern coast of Korean Peninsula. It was determined that streaked shearwaters most frequently visited waters with circular flows or zones of junctions of multidirectional flow. It was also shown that these zones had high concentrations of zooplankton.”

Streaked Shearwater at sea

Reference:

Tiunov, I., Katin, I., Lee, H., Lee, S. & Im, E. 2017. Foraging areas of streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelas nesting on the Karamzin Island (Peter the Great Bay, East Sea).  Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2017.10.005.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 December 2017