Read about recent developments and findings in procellariiform science and conservation relevant to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels in ACAP Latest News.
Waved Albatrosses interact. Courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy
Congressman Jared Huffman (D-one pagerCA) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act and Migratory Bird Protection Act on 11 October 2024, to mark today's World Migratory Bird Day. The joint media release by the two U.S. Representatives says “These bills will give the United States the tools to build upon existing efforts to protect migratory birds and the most threatened species of seabirds.
The media release continues “The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act would implement the International Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), protecting some of the most endangered seabirds on the planet from international fishing threats. Thousands of albatrosses and petrels die each year due to fisheries operations as they come into contact longline fishing equipment during their migration to nest and find food. Although the United States has attended and contributed to ACAP meetings regularly since the Agreement’s signing in 2001, it has not yet joined the 13 member countries that have signed as parties.”
According to the American Bird Conservancy the two bipartisan bills will require implementation and adoption of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (ACAP) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service and will reinforce protections for migratory birds and threatened seabird species, such as the ACAP-listed Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata (Critically Endangered) and the Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus (Vulnerable).
This appears to be the fourth times a bipartisan effort has been made in the USA to become a Party to the Albatross and Petrel Agreement, with three previous attempts made in 2016, 2019 and 2021.
Read more in a "one-pager" and access the full text of the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act of 2024 USA residents can support the USA’s Migratory Bird Protection Act and Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act from here.
John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 12 October 2024
The sheer western cliffs of Auckland Island, photograph by Finlay Cox
Eradicating invasive pests on seabird-breeding islands has been undertaken for over 50 years and has become established as one of the most immediate ways of helping restore island ecosystems. During that time invasive mammals have been eradicated from over 700 islands globally. A body of knowledge and experience that has been built up has resulted in a high success rate, while generating a well-defined set of practical principles that maximise the likelihood of success of each eradication that follows. Rat species are prevalent on islands worldwide and have thus been a common target for eradication, but in the past two decades jujhHouse Mice have increasingly been targeted, with mouse eradications also having a high success rate. Where projects have been unsuccessful, their managers and scientists then engage in reviews to identify and integrate key lessons into future operational planning.
The record following eradication projects for the sub-Antarctic islands around the Southern Ocean overall is also a good one. Australia’s Macquarie Island is free of its cats, rabbits, rats and mice, New Zealand’s Campbell Island of its sheep, cats and rats, and more recently New Zealand’s Antipodes Island of its mice. Over in the South Atlantic South Georgia/Islas Georgias del Sur* is now free of Reindeer, rats and mice. France’s Amsterdam Island has recently been the subject of an eradication project to rid it of feral cats, rats and mice, and so far the results seem promising; it earlier had its feral cattle removed. However, not every eradication project in the sub-Antarctic has been successful: mice remain on France’s St Paul (although its rats were eliminated) and mice have survived the eradication effort on the United Kingdom’s Gough Island in 2021. And there still remain some important seabird islands in the Southern Ocean with introduced mammals awaiting eradication attempts (although on some of them research on their pests has been undertaken). These include France’s Crozet Islands and Kerguelen (multiple species), and Steeple Jason (House Mice) in the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas*.
Some islands in the Southern Ocean have fortunately have remained free or largely free of invasive mammals. These include the UK’s Inaccessible (feral pigs died out) and Nightingale (both part of the Tristan da Cunha group), South Africa’s Prince Edward Island, Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands, and New Zealand’s Bounty and Snares Islands.
Fatally attacked by Marion Island’s introduced House Mice, this Wandering Albatross chick soon died of its injuries, photograph by Vanessa Stephen, 06 July 2024
For this month’s Missive I reached out to managers and scientists involved with intended eradication efforts on two sub-Antarctic islands, Auckland and New, to ascertain the “state of play”. I do not consider here South Africa’s Marion Island where House Mice are seriously ravaging its albatrosses and petrels, primarily because progress by the Mouse-Free Marion Project with its active website news section and social media postings continues to be regularly featured by ACAP Latest News.
Auckland Island
White-Capped Albatross or Toroa Thalassarche steadi on Auckland Island, photograph by Jake Osbourne
The information below comes from Veronika Frank and Stephen Horn, National Eradication Manager, New Zealand Department of Conservation.
A technical feasibility study for the eradication of pigs, feral cats and mice (feral goats had been previously removed) from the main 46 000-ha Auckland Island in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic was undertaken between 2017 and 2021 leading to a detailed report. Research findings from the study were published in a number of individual papers in a special issue of the New Zealand Journal of Ecology the following year.
Following a pause in progress due to the COVID-19 epidemic, eradication of the three mammalian invaders is now another step closer thanks to recent Government funding of NZD 3.65 million over two years. These funds will enable foundational work to ready the eradication project for initiation. Progress on research and development objectives include:
development of a meat cat bait for use in New Zealand: two successful hand-laid trials completed and an aerial trial currently underway to support registration of this bait;
development of efficient cat-trapping techniques and detectability with camera networks;
successful testing of a feral pig bait and in-field GPS-tagging techniques; and
development of an effective image classifier using artificial intelligence for managing trail cameras.
A feral cat feeds on the body of a White-capped Albatross chick close to fledging, Auckland Island, photograph by Stephen Bradley
The objectives of the current “Readiness Phase” include:
securing the remaining funding required to initiate the eradication project (NZD 78 million total over eight years) through donations, partnerships and Government investment.
establishment of project management, governance, and project delivery structure(s) and recruitment of core team members to progress planning and produce a suite of planning documents such as a Project Plan and Procurement Strategy
Complete research and development for required tools, which include:
registration of the new feral cat bait;
improved helicopter bucket for reliable distribution of rodent bait at low sow rates; and
remotely reporting camera setup and communications system using artificial intelligence with high accuracy to report on target species detections as they occur.
A “storymap” with the title “Preventing extinctions and saving entire ecosystems Subantarctic Auckland Island, New Zealand” dated March 2024 sets out in visual terms the project.
New Island
Landsend Bluff on New Island, photograph by Ian Strange
The New Island National Nature Reserve is considered one of the most globally significant wildlife sites in the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)* and is in major need of restoration. Four invasive mammal species, feral cats, European Rabbits, Black Rats and House Mice, threaten the site’s fauna and are degrading the island’s fragile habitats. Their removal is required for recovery and long-term climate resilience. The New Island Restoration project aims to complete the preparatory technical steps necessary for an ambitious four-species eradication programme and engage the Falkland Islands Government and community to secure support for New Island’s long-term restoration.
Video by Falkland Conservation
“The feasibility report is currently in the process of being externally reviewed and so isn't ready to make public yet, but as with the 2013 report by Derek Brown the findings were that the removal of all four invasive mammal species remains feasible. Phase 1, which concluded in March enabled us to collate all the technical data required, develop mitigation strategies, identify partners and secure permissions, and we're currently in the fundraising stage to enable Phase 2 (the actual restoration work) to begin. We've recently updated the website to reflect this transition, which includes a stronger message - not if we should do it, but that we are fundraising in order to do it. We're in a better position than ever before to deliver the restoration of NI, and the island needs it now more than ever.”
Read more under the heading “New Island: completing preparatory steps for restoration against invasive mammals” and download progress reports on the Darwin Plus grants scheme website here.
A Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris pair on New Island, photograph by Ian Strange
With thanks to Veronika Frank, Stephen Horn, Ross James, Mark Tasker and Megan Tierney for information.
John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 11 October 2024
*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas.
“We report the development of a colony of threatened Newell's Shearwater Puffinus newelli (NESH) at Makamaka‘ole, West Maui, USA, a successful first undertaking in the Hawaiian Islands. Efforts involved the construction of two predator-proof fenced areas, removal/control of predators, placement of nest boxes, and social attraction using recorded calls and decoys. Initially, one of the management areas was intended for Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis (HAPE) and the other for NESH. Exclosures were completed and mammalian predators were removed in 2013, and social attraction began in 2014. Both species almost immediately began flyovers to inspect speakers and by 2015, they had landed to inspect nest sites. Cameras recorded activity at nests during which individuals showed interest and, in at least one case, competed for the same nest. The first NESH eggs were laid in 2017, by which time HAPE had lost interest. NESH numbers continued to grow, especially after more speakers were added in 2019, when at least one but as many as five NESH chicks fledged. Two main questions arose: 1) What was the source population from which NESH had come, given their near extirpation on Maui? and 2) Why did HAPE, which are abundant in East Maui and on the nearby island of Lāna‘i, eventually lose interest? Better understanding the population and behavioral ecology of these species might well inform planning for similar projects elsewhere in Hawai‘i.”
Reference:
Spencer, G., Craig, M., Yuen, B. & Ainley, D. 2024. Establishment of an incipient Newell’s Shearwater Puffinus newelli colony on Maui. Marine Ornithology 52: 157-164.
Figure 1 from the paper: Map of the study area. The study species were selected from the red-highlighted regions, encompassing the temperate islands of Bass Strait, Tasmania, and southeast Australia, Subantarctic Macquarie Island, and the Antarctic continent. The detailed map of southeast Australia includes several key marine predator breeding colonies. Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.
Milan Sojitra (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, University of Tasmania, Australia) and colleagues have published open access in the journal, Global Change Biology, on a trait-based approach to climate change impacts on marine predators.
The paper’s abstract follows:
“Terrestrially breeding marine predators have experienced shifts in species distribution, prey availability, breeding phenology, and population dynamics due to climate change worldwide. These central-place foragers are restricted within proximity of their breeding colonies during the breeding season, making them highly susceptible to any changes in both marine and terrestrial environments. While ecologists have developed risk assessments to evaluate climate risk in various contexts, these often overlook critical breeding biology data. To address this knowledge gap, we developed a trait-based risk assessment framework, focusing on the breeding season and applying it to marine predators breeding in parts of Australian territory and Antarctica. Our objectives were to quantify climate change risk, identify specific threats, and establish an adaptable assessment framework. The assessment considered 25 criteria related to three risk components: vulnerability, exposure, and hazard, while accounting for uncertainty. We employed a scoring system that integrated a systematic literature review and expert elicitation for the hazard criteria. Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify key factors contributing to overall risk. We identified shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta), southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome), Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), and Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) with high climate urgency. Species breeding in lower latitudes, as well as certain eared seal, albatross, and penguin species, were particularly at risk. Hazard and exposure explained the most variation in relative risk, outweighing vulnerability. Key climate hazards affecting most species include extreme weather events, changes in habitat suitability, and prey availability. We emphasise the need for further research, focusing on at-risk species, and filling knowledge gaps (less-studied hazards, and/or species) to provide a more accurate and robust climate change risk assessment. Our findings offer valuable insights for conservation efforts, given that monitoring and implementing climate adaptation strategies for land-dependent marine predators is more feasible during their breeding season.”
Reference:
Sojitra, M., Corney, S., Hemer, M., Hamilton, S., McInnes, J., Thalmann, S., & Lea, M.-A. 2024. Traversing the land-sea interface: A climate change risk assessment of terrestrially breeding marine predators. Global Change Biology 30, e17452. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17452
“Invasive house mice threaten native biodiversity on many of the world’s islands. Best practice for eradicating house mouse populations from islands currently relies on bait containing the anticoagulant rodenticide brodifacoum. These baits are typically either broadcast (by hand or by helicopter in natural areas) or placed in bait stations (in human infrastructure or in areas where open broadcast is not permitted). There have been many successful mouse eradications using these methods, including 29 of 36 attempts of islands being successful (81%) in New Zealand. Following recent failed mouse eradications on Gough Island (South Atlantic, 2021) and Midway Atoll (North Pacific, 2023), a workshop was convened with 24 people attending (16 in-person, 8 on-line) from 7 countries (Australia, Canada, France, NZ, South Africa, UK, US), to discuss some hypotheses for what may have contributed to these unsuccessful outcomes. The workshop was held in Palmerston North, New Zealand, between November 27 and 29, 2023. Discussions over the three days revolved around three hypotheses. We present the key factors hypothesized for why eradications failed on these two islands. We also outline research and operational needs that were identified in the workshop that can contribute to improved outcomes for future eradications of house mice from targeted islands.”
The target: a Marion Island House Mouse, photograph by Stefan Schoombie
With thanks to Keith Springer.
The paper has been published online at the open-access repository eScholarship.org, where it can be read and/or downloaded. The conference proceedings editor advises that “after all papers submitted for the 31st Proceedings have been published on eScholarship.org, we will proceed to publish Volume 31 of the Proceedings in hard copy format. Because of the relatively small number of papers submitted for the 30th Proceedings (2022) due to the COVID pandemic, the hard copy version will include papers from both the 30th and 31st (2024) Conferences. We expect it to be available for purchase sometime in the first half of 2025.”
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Waved Albatrosses interact. Courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy
The sheer western cliffs of Auckland Island, photograph by Finlay Cox
Figure 1 from the paper: Map of the study area. The study species were selected from the red-highlighted regions, encompassing the temperate islands of Bass Strait, Tasmania, and southeast Australia, Subantarctic Macquarie Island, and the Antarctic continent. The detailed map of southeast Australia includes several key marine predator breeding colonies. Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.
The problem: this Wandering Albatross has been attacked by House Mice on Marion Island, photograph by Chris Jones