Bill Bourne, from the Ibis obituary by Euan Dunn; photograph by Mike Harris

William ‘Bill’ Richmond Postle Bourne, MA, MB, B CH died on 31 May 2021, nearly a year ago, at the good age of 91.  English born, where he trained as a medical doctor, he lived most of his long life in Scotland, working mostly as a marine ornithologist concentrating on procellariiform seabirds (mainly petrels, but also albatrosses) as well as co-authoring results of the first survey of the United Kingdom’s breeding seabirds.  During his career he gained a reputation of irascibility, interspersed with moments of genuine compassion and thoughtful caring for others.

I first met Bill Bourne at an international conference for marine birds that I organized in 1979 at South Africa’s University of Cape Town -where I was then a junior researcher in the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology.  I had invited Bill, who I had known by reputation and correspondence in my role as Editor of Cormorant (now Marine Ornithology), a journal I started three years earlier, to give an address, which resulted in his paper “Some factors underlying the distribution of seabirds” in the conference proceedings, which I edited.  He knew that I had started my own career as a marine ornithologist studying African Penguins Spheniscus demersus and Bank Cormorants Phalacrocorax neglectus on Dassen Island, off South Africa’s west coast during 1971 and 1972.  He had the foresight to bring with him a second-hand copy of Cherry Kearton’s classic 1930 book ‘The Island of Penguins’, which without ever naming the island, was all about Dassen and its penguins.  The book contained photographs of massed penguins on the shore and in the breeding flats which still astound anyone who knows the island nowadays and how relatively few of this Endangered species sadly remain.

During the conference he surreptitiously passed Kearton’s book along the rows of lecture seats, getting every international attendee to sign it below his own signature and dedication of the book to myself.  I was then presented with the book at the closing dinner.  It was a wholly and unexpected gift, and one I have treasured ever since.

Photographs from The Island of Penguins by Cherry Kearton

I next met Bill at the ICBP Seabird Conservation Symposium and associated workshop in Cambridge, UK in August 1982.  I well remember our meeting up in the quadrangle of King’s College where we were both holding the meetings and staying.  He had balanced on one shoulder an ancient, disreputable-looking suitcase with broken locks kept together with roughly tied rope.  It seemed to fit his style.  Later during the workshop passed me a hand-written note when we were both chairing a session saying that I was “waffling”.  I most likely was, but needless to say I was quite disconcerted!  But at the same meeting he showed a different side of his personality when an attendee unexpectedly had a Tonic-clonic "grand mal" epileptic seizure, falling backward over his chair with an unearthly cry.  Bill swiftly attended the person with his medical knowledge and ensured he was taken to hospital, where he recovered well enough to travel home, although he did not return to the symposium.

Since then, we slowly lost touch as he moved back to practice as a medical doctor. Full obituaries for Bill Bourne have appeared in several journals, as referenced below.  They are well worth a read to learn of a person who enlivened marine ornithology in his unique way for many years.

References:

Bourne, W.R.P. 1977.  Albatrosses occurring off South Africa.  Cormorant 2: 7-10.

Bourne, W.R.P. 1978.  Correspondence.  Impact of human activities on seabirds, and their nomenclature.  Cormorant 5: 35-36.

Bourne, W.R.P. 1979.  Report of the Standing Committee of the International Ornithological Congress for the Co-ordination of Seabird Research.  Cormorant 6: 41-46.

Bourne, W.R.P. 1980.  Birds of the Sea and Shore.  Cormorant 8: 29-30.

Bourne, W.R.P. 1981.  Some factors underlying the distribution of seabirds.  In: Cooper, J. (Ed.). 1981. Proceedings of the Symposium on Birds of the Sea and Shore held at the University of Cape Town, 19-21 November 1979.  Cape Town: African Seabird Group.  pp.  119-134.

Cooper, J. 2022.  Editorial: 50 Volumes of Marine Ornithology, 1976-2022: the founding editor looks back. Marine Ornithology 50: i-ii.

Cramp. S., Bourne, W.R.P. & Saunders, D. 1974.  The Seabirds of Britain and Ireland.  London: Williams Collins Sons & Co.  287 pp.

Croxall, J.P., Evans, P.G.H. & Schreiber, R.W. (Ed). 1984.  Status and conservation of the World's Seabirds. Based on the Proceedings of the ICBP Seabird Conservation Symposium, Cambridge, August 1982.  Cambridge, International Council for Bird Preservation.  778 pp.

Dunn, E. 2022.  William (Bill) Richmond Postle Bourne, MA, MB, B CH, MBOU (1930–2021).  Ibis 164: 631-633.

Kearton, C. 1930.  The Island of Penguins.  London: Longmans Green & Co.  223 pp.

Tasker, M. 2021.  W.R.P. Bourne 1930-2021. Seabird 123-125.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 May 2022

Hawaiian Petrel chick: at risk to feral cats; photograph by Andre Raine

Scott Loss (Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA) and colleagues have published  a review of the global literature on impacts on wildlife by unowned (including feral) domestic cats Felis catus in the Journal of Animal Ecology.  “Nearly half of studies evaluated cat impacts in non-continental areas, reflecting human introductions of cats and establishment of feral populations on many oceanic islands worldwide.”  They find little or no positive effects of controversial TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programmes on wildlife; a finding relevant to the situation pertaining on some inhabited islands with burrowing seabird populations (such as in Hawaii).

The paper’s abstract follows:

“1. A vast global literature documents that free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) have substantial negative effects on wildlife, including through predation, fear, disease, and competition-related impacts that have contributed to numerous wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. However, no study has synthesized this literature on cat impacts on wildlife to evaluate its overarching biases and major gaps.
2. To direct future research and conservation related to cat impacts on wildlife, we conducted a global literature review that entailed evaluation and synthesis of patterns and gaps in the literature related to the geographic context, methods, and types of impacts studied.
3. Our systematic literature search compiled 2,245 publications. We extracted information from 332 of these meeting inclusion criteria designed to ensure the relevance of studies analyzed.
4. This synthesis of research on cat impacts on wildlife highlights a focus on oceanic  slands, Australia, Europe, and North America, and on rural areas, predation, impacts of unowned cats, and impacts at population and species levels. Key research advances needed to better understand and manage cat impacts include more studies in underrepresented, highly biodiverse regions (Africa, Asia, South America), on cat impacts other than predation, and on methods designed to reduce impacts on wildlife.
5. The identified areas of needed research into cat impacts on wildlife will be critical to further clarifying the role of cats in global wildlife declines and to implementing science driven policy and management that benefit conservation efforts.”

With thanks to Janine Dunlop, Niven Librarian, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town.

Reference:

Loss, S.R., C., Boughton, B., Cady, S.M., Londe, D.W., McKinney, C., O’Connell, T.J., Riggs, G.J. & Robertson, E.P. 2022.  Review and synthesis of the global literature on domestic cat impacts on wildlife.  Journal of Animal EcologyJournal of Animal Ecology doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13745.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 May 2022

The illustrated Species Summaries have been produced to help inform the public, including school learners, of the biology and conservation needs of the 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments, and the still incomplete Photo Essay and Infographic series.

The 22 albatross summaries were originally produced to inform members of Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) who produced artworks to support World Albatross Day 2020.  They have been produced in in the three ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish.

Similarly, summaries in English for the nine ACAP-listed petrels and shearwaters were used to accompany ABUN paintings in 2021 for a project entitled “Painting Petrels in Peril”.  These nine accounts are now available from here in English, completing the series.  Preparation of French and Spanish versions are currently underway and will be added soon.

The English versions also may be found via original posts in ACAP Latest News by clicking on the links below.

Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni
Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea
Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes hall
Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus
Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus
Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata
Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica
White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer & Bree Forrer, ACAP Communications Advisor, 25 May 2022

Best practice mitigation: a bird-scaring line with its coloured streamers flapping in the wind, photograph from Projeto Albatroz

The Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MoP7) to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) held virtually over 9-13 May concluded with all Parties agreeing much work remains to be done in addressing threats to seabird populations.  The meeting was chaired by Gaia Puleston of Australia.

Reflecting on the task ahead in her opening address to MoP7, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, the Governor of the State of Tasmania, said: “The world is watching how you work together to conserve imperilled albatrosses and petrels.  The future of these species depends on your collective efforts.  I wish all participants at the Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties every success in ensuring there is a secure foundation upon which to advance the work of ACAP in the coming triennium.”

In 2019, ACAP's Advisory Committee declared a conservation crisis, which continues to be the most serious threat faced by its 31 listed species, with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying every year as a result of fisheries operations.

The implementation of ACAP’s Best Practice seabird bycatch mitigation advice by ACAP Parties, non-Party Range States and, critically, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) was identified as essential for the conservation of these majestic seabirds.

ACAP has developed a comprehensive range of Best Practice Advice guidelines and factsheets containing proven mitigation measures that can be implemented by coastal States and distant water fishing nations to reduce seabird bycatch.  These are available in multiple languages and can be accessed through the ACAP website.

Encouragingly, a growing number of RFMOs and other bodies have adopted several ACAP best practice measures in their operations leading to the reduction of seabird bycatch from longline and trawl fishing.  Progress was also noted in work addressing land-based threats to seabirds, in particular programmes directed at the eradication of invasive species.

Dr Michael Double, who currently chairs the ACAP Advisory Committee (and was the MoP7 Vice Chair) in his report to the Parties, highlighted the urgent need to engage with RFMOs and other organisations in adopting ACAP best practice for fisheries to prevent further declines in the populations of albatrosses and petrels.  He stated “the Advisory Committee continues to recommend that Parties, Range States and RFMOs promote and implement best-practice seabird mitigation measures, improve the collection and reporting of seabird bycatch data, implement priority monitoring and tracking studies and continue schemes to eradicate invasive species at breeding sites.”  Improving this critical information is vital for the development of targeted future priority conservation actions.

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ACAP’s activities was noted, with progress of some ACAP activities slowed.  With the easing of restrictions across the globe, it is hoped that ACAP can resume key activities, including restarting its grants and secondments programmes and continued engagement with RFMOs.

ACAP’s Executive Secretary, Dr Christine Bogle, commented that “this Meeting of the Parties reiterated the commitment of ACAP Parties and partner organisations to strive to protect these unique birds from the threats that they continue to confront.”

The report of the meeting will be available in ACAP's three official languages of English, French and Spanish in due course (click here), from where the MoP7 documents considered at the meeting may be viewed.

ACAP Secretariat, 24 May 2022