Two fishers have been sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of wilfully ill-treating seabirds, including albatrosses, between April 2012 and August 2014, while fishing in New Zealand waters.

Some birds were killed and others seriously injured.  The fishers used gaffs to hit seabirds, knocking one unconscious with a “golf swing” while it was next to the vessel.  Birds that came aboard were variously chased, punched, kicked and gaffed, receiving broken wings in some cases. Birds were also sprayed with a high pressure hose.  One albatross was released after a rope was tied around its neck.

The two fishers were sentenced to 125 and 200 hours' community work, respectively and NZ$ 1000 court costs were imposed.

Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri (Near Threatened) - one of the species mistreated

Photograph by Paul Sagar

Read more details here.

Read of a longline fisher sentenced for causing the deaths of 39 albatrosses by failing to use a bird-scaring line here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 July 2018

Elizabeth (‘Biz’) and Mike Bell (Wildlife Management International Ltd) have produced a report for the Conservation Services Programme (CSP) of the New Zealand Department of Conservation that details 193 seabirds of 19 taxa captured and returned for autopsy by New Zealand longline, trawl and net fisheries in 2016/17.

The report’s abstract follows:

“New Zealand waters support a diverse range of seabird species, but much of the commercial fishing activity in the region overlaps with their ranges. The accurate identification of seabirds captured in New Zealand fisheries is vital for determining the potential impact of fisheries on these populations.  Between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 a total of 193 seabirds comprising 19 taxa were incidentally killed as bycatch and returned for autopsy by on‐board New Zealand Government observers.  Birds were returned from 14 longline (n = 65 birds), 28 trawl (n = 115 birds) and 4 set net (n = 13 birds) vessels, and were dominated numerically by five species (Salvin’s albatross Thalassarche salvini, Buller’s albatross Thalassarche bulleri bulleri, sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus, New Zealand whitecapped albatross Thalassarche steadi and white‐chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis). All birds returned from longline fisheries had injuries consistent with being hooked or entangled in the bill, throat or wing. In contrast, most birds (79.4%) returned from trawl fisheries were killed through entanglement in the net, cod‐end or pound, with 10.7% likely to have been killed by warp interaction or entanglement. Four birds were killed by striking the deck of the vessel. Birds had a higher mean fat scores as in the last fishing year, and discards, including offal, appear to continue to be an attractant for many seabirds. In addition to the seabirds that were returned for autopsy, examination of the Ministry for Primary Industries Central Observer Database and images provided by Government observers gave a total of a further 762 seabirds that were reported as interactions or photographed (as dead or alive captures) with 60 fishing vessels (and may include some noncapture interactions). Over two‐thirds (69.9%) of the seabirds reported in these interactions or photographed birds were released alive. Out of these 762 records of seabird interactions, photographs were taken of 252 seabirds consisting of 18 taxa. Image quality varied widely, with poor images being particularly common for birds that were alive and seen on‐board for short periods. Images for dead birds have improved with a number of images taken for each specimen. Recommendations are made to improve photo‐identifications in the future.”

At risk to longlines: Buller's Albatrosses forage in New Zealand waters, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Previous annual reports of autopsied seabirds killed by New Zealand from 1996 are referenced in the 2016/17 report and may be searched for online.

Reference:

Bell, E.A. & Bell, M.D. 2017 [published June 2018].  INT2016‐02 Identification of seabirds caught in New Zealand fisheries: 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.  Blenheim: Wildlife Management International Limited.  31pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 July 2018

Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC), a conservation NGO based in Hawaii, is looking for up to three non-paid and self-supported interns to participate in its Seabird Restoration Program. The project is based at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Oahu and involves social attraction and translocation of Laysan Phoebastria immutabilis and Black-footed P. nigripes Albatrosses (both Near Threatened), Bonin Petrels Pterodroma hypoleuca (Least Concern) and Near Threatened Tristram’s Storm Petrels Hydrobates tristrami in order to establish new colonies considered safe from predicted sea level rise.

The 2018 cohort of translocated Black-footed Albatross chicks soon after collection, photograph courtesy of Pacific Rim Conservation

“We are in search of passionate individuals interested in gaining experience in the avian care and seabird conservation field. Interns will be exposed to all aspects of the daily care of the translocated chicks with an emphasis on daily cleaning and food preparation. Interns will also gain training on seabird social attraction techniques and aspects of habitat restoration, including out-planting and predator control. Interns will go through [an] initial orientation to gain a basic understanding of avian husbandry in the conservation field and continue to refine these skills throughout the internship.  Interns will also shadow a member of the PRC Animal Care team throughout the duration of the internship to learn through observation about avian care, feeding and holding techniques. Please keep in mind, due to the nature of this project and permitting restrictions, handling of the chicks is limited.  However, as interns gain experience, they may have the opportunity to assist in feeding and handling of the translocated chicks."

Responsibilities will include diet preparation, daily and weekly cleaning tasks, field maintenance, animal observations and data collection over the period 4 February – 28 June 2019.  For more details and how to apply – by 16 August - click here.

More information on Pacific Rim Conservation’s Seabird Restoration Program can be found on PRC’s “No Net Loss” website.

The most recent (the second) translocation of Black-footed Albatrosses by PRC has been a successful one with 22 of 25 hand-reared chicks fledging from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, the last on 23 June.  Thirteen chicks fledged in the first year.  This year all 53 translocated Bonin’s Petrels fledged, the first year with this species.  Fledging from the first 25-strong Tristram’s Storm Petrel cohort was also a 100% success (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 July 2018

National Geographic in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is providing grants for the recovery of species on the brink of extinction.

Proposals that focus on the following three themes are encouraged:

Specific and defensible priority actions to avert a species decline;

Projects that include the active involvement of early career conservationists; and

Projects that support conservation leaders from the countries where the species occur.

A typical proposal request will be for less than US$ 30 000.  However, applicants may request up to US$ 50 000.  The application deadline is 10 July 2018, with decisions to be announced by November.

Critically Endangered: A Tristan Albatross incubates on Inaccessible Island, photograph by Katrine Herrian

For more information click here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 July 2018