Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis breed among washed-up plastic litter on Midway Atoll; photograph by Steven Siegel, Marine Photobank

The Albatross and Petrel Agreement has chosen “Plastic Pollution” as its theme to mark the fourth World Albatross Day, to be celebrated on 19 June 2023.  This follows the inaugural theme “Eradicating Island Pests” in 2020, “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries” in 2021 and “Climate Change” in 2022.

Albatrosses are affected by a range of pollutants, of which plastics, whether ingested and then fed to chicks or causing entanglements, are certainly the most visible and well known to the general public.  However, albatrosses face other significant pollutants, including heavy metals, (such as mercury) and POPs (persistent organic pollutants, such as insecticides).  ACAP will therefore include these and other categories of pollutants along with plastics in promoting “WAD2023”.

A 500-ml plastic bottle found in the stomach of a Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora (click here); photograph from the New Zealand Department of Conservation

Two new albatross species will be used to feature the theme for next year’s World Albatross Day, with artworks, posters, infographics and a music video.  These will be the globally Endangered Northern Royal Albatross D. sanfordi, endemic to New Zealand, and the abundant and widespread Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris.  In addition, coverage will be given to last year’s featured species, the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses of the North Pacific, which ingest more plastic than do the southern hemisphere species.

A beached juvenile Black-browed/Campbell Albatross entangled by a plastic string attached to a balloon, Dolphin Point, New South Wales, Australia (click here); photograph from Karen Joynes

As well as the world’s 22 species of albatrosses, other procellariforms are prone to ingest pieces of plastic found floating on the sea surface and mistaken as food.  A notable example is the Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carnepeis, shown to ingest very large amounts of plastic at one breeding locality at least (click here).  This shearwater is a species that has previously been identified as a potential candidate for ACAP listing (click here).

Heavy load: plastic being removed from the stomach of a Flesh-footed Shearwater; photograph by Ian Hutton

ACAP is giving consideration to promoting WAD2023 by running one or two competitions for public participation, including for children.  The competitions held for the inaugural World Albatross Day proved popular, so follow ACAP Latest News and social media for announcements in due course.

John Cooper, ACAP News Correspondent, 01 September 2022

The Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater ranges in UK waters; photograph by Pep Arcos

The UK has published its Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, outlining its strategy on minimising and, where feasible, eliminating the bycatch of marine species. Recognising that further action needs to be taken to achieve its proposed strategic objectives, the initiative extends on existing programmes such as the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme and Clean Catch UK. 

In a piece written for, Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link), Ruby Temple-Long, RSPB Marine Policy Officer and Chair of the Link Bycatch sub-group, offers her personal perspective of the Bycatch Mitigation Initiative. The article can be accessed through the website, here.

Accidental death through interactions with fishing operations is the most significant threat to marine wildlife globally. In regard to seabirds, thousands are dying avoidable deaths each year when they swallow baited longline hooks and are then drowned, through collisions with trawl cables or entanglement in nets. ACAP has developed a range of Conservation Guidelines including Best Practice Advice on bycatch mitigation measures identified to reduce this mortality. Conservation Guidelines and Bycatch Mitigation Advice can be downloaded at the ACAP website under Resources, https://www.acap.aq.

Posted 31 August 2022

Black-winged Petrel ashore

Terence O’Dwyer (Conservation and Restoration Science, Department of Planning and Environment, New South Wales, Australia) and colleagues have published in the journal Bird Conservation International on breeding recovery of the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis on Australia’s World Heritage Lord Howe Island after the removal of introduced Ship or Black Rats Rattus rattus.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“In 2019, a Rodent Eradication Project (REP) was implemented on World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, Australia. Among the species expected to benefit was a burrow-nesting seabird, the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis.  Prior to the REP, we assessed causes of Black-winged Petrel nest failure using surveillance cameras. We also measured breeding success before and after the REP and investigated emerging pressures on breeding success from other native species. In 2017, ship rats Rattus rattus were a major cause of Black-winged Petrel nest failure, and breeding success was as low as 2.5%, compared to 47.5% on rodent-free Phillip Island (Norfolk Island Group). In 2020, in the absence of rodents, breeding success on Lord Howe Island increased dramatically to 67% and remained high (50%) in 2021. This result suggests that reproductive output of small seabirds has been heavily supressed by rodents on Lord Howe Island for decades. A subsequent increase in the population of a predatory endemic rail, the Lord Howe Woodhen Hypotaenida sylvestris, combined with burrow competition from Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis, indicated that initial high breeding success may not be sustained.  However, the surge in successful breeding of Black-winged Petrels is likely to result in a significant increase in fledgling numbers and the recruitment of hundreds of additional birds each year. Given the important role of petrels in global nutrient cycling, and their positive influence on island biodiversity, their expansion should benefit the ecological restoration of Lord Howe Island.”

With thanks to Sandy Bartle.

Reference:

O’Dwyer, T., Carlile, N., O’Neill, L & Halpin, LR 2022.  Changing fortunes of the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis following the Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Project - interactions with other recovering species.  Bird Conservation International doi.org/10.1017/S0959270922000132.

John Cooper, ACAP News Correspondent, 30 August 2022