Heather Lynch (Ecology and Evolution Department, Stony Brook University, New York, USA) and colleagues have published in the journal Polar Biology on the numbers of seabirds, including ACAP-listed Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus, breeding on the South Sandwich Islands.

The paper’s abstract follows:

The South Sandwich Islands, in the South Atlantic Ocean, are a major biological hot spot for penguins and other seabirds, but their remoteness and challenging coastlines preclude regular biological censuses.  Here we report on an extensive survey of the South Sandwich Islands, the first since the late 1990s, which was completed through a combination of direct counting, GPS mapping, and interpretation of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery.  We find that the South Sandwich Islands host nearly half of the world’s Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) population (1.3 million breeding pairs), as well as c. 95,000 breeding pairs of Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus), and several thousand breeding pairs of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua). Despite being at the northern edge of their breeding range, we found an unexpectedly large (≥125,000 breeding pairs) population of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae).  Additionally, we report that nearly 1900 pairs of Southern Giant Petrels (Macronectes giganteus) breed in the South Sandwich Islands, 4 % of the global population, almost all of which are found on Candlemas Island.  We find that the South Sandwich Islands have not experienced the same changes in penguin abundance and distribution as the rest of the Scotia Arc and associated portions of the western Antarctic Peninsula.  This discovery adds important context to the larger conversation regarding changes to penguin populations in the Southern Ocean.

Southern Giant Petrel breeding on Candlemas, South Sandwich Islands, photograph by Andy Black

Reference:

Lynch, H.J., White, R., Naveen, R., Black, A., Meixler, M.S. & Fagan, W.F. 2016.  In stark contrast to widespread declines along the Scotia Arc, a survey of the South Sandwich Islands finds a robust seabird community.  Polar Biology doi:10.​1007/​s00300-015-1886-6.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 January 2016

The orphaned Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis egg that survived its incubating parent being killed as a result of a night-time human intrusion late last month at Kaena Point on the Hawaiian island of Oahu (click here) has now been placed in the care of a second foster pair after being found cold and abandoned for a second time, but still alive.  The second foster pair’s own egg had stopped developing, making them available to take over the orphaned egg.

The orphaned egg deserted by its first foster parents

The orphaned egg with its first foster parent

The first Kaena Point eggs have started hatching and it is hoped the fostered egg will hatch soon.

The police inquiry into the albatross killing continues, apparently with some progress (click here)

News and photographs from Pacific Rim Conservation.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 January 2016

Northern Royal Albatross with a hatchling at Taiaroa Head

A live-streaming web camera, nicknamed the Royal Cam, was switched on yesterday at a nest of the Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi with a six-day old chick on New Zealand’s Taiaroa Head.

“Currently a parent can be seen brooding a chick.  It will be fed regularly throughout the day.  In between times the adults will either be resting or nest building.  The web cam is facing south, so on a clear day you'll see Dunedin city in the distance.  Keep an eye out for cruise ships and other vessels sailing by, or for little blue penguins heading back to their nests at dusk.”

Short highlight videos are also being posted, that depict the young chick being fed and other activities.  The camera has an infra-red capability so activities at the nest after dark can also be followed.  Read more about the Royal Cam here.

Click here to follow a similar camera filming a group of Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis nests on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 January 2016

In November last year Namibia gazetted separate regulations to protect seabirds in its demersal longline and demersal trawl fisheries for hake Merluccius spp.  The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources the Hon. Bernhard Esau, MP made the regulations on 18 August 2015 in terms of Namibia’s Marine Resources Act, No. 27 of 2000.

For longline fishing at least one bird-scaring line (BSL) must be deployed at all times during fishing operations.  The regulations give detailed information on line design and deployment, including when paired BSLs are deployed.

Two bird-scaring lines have to be deployed by trawlers when fishing.  Again, information is given in the gazetted notice on design and deployment.

The regulations came into force from 30 November 2015; contraventions may incur both fines and imprisonment.

Twin bird-scaring lines deployed behind a South Atlantic trawler keep Black-browed Albatrosses away from the warps

Photograph  by Barry Watkins

ACAP’s Fifth Session of its Meeting of Parties in the Canaries on the island of Tenerife last year in May heard from the Namibian Observer present that progress was being achieved in Namibia to becoming a Party to the Agreement, with the possibility this might happen in the near future (click here).

With thanks to Hannes Holtzhausen for information.

Reference:

Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia 14 November 2015.  No. 5877.  Notices 269 and 270.  6 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 January 2016