A new programme to support early to mid-career researchers has been launched by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). 

“The SCAR Science Group Fellowship Programme is designed to encourage the active involvement of early and mid-career researchers in the work of the permanent, disciplinary Science Groups (SGs) to mentor potential future SCAR leaders and promote professional development. “

The reviewing process for applications will begin 18 December 2023. It is advised to submit your application by this date to be considered for the programme.

For further information including details of the award and eligibility criteria, please see the SCAR website, here.

17 November 2023

A Wedge-tailed Shearwater and its chick at the burrow entrance, artwork by the Freeman Seabird Preserve

News is in on the fortunes of three protected breeding populations of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica on the main Hawaiian Islands, as reported on Facebook by Pacific Rim Conservation and the Hawai‘i Audubon Society’s Freeman Seabird Preserve.

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, photograph by Pacific Rim Conservation

Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, Oahu

In the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on the island of Oahu, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters have set another breeding record. Pacific Rim Conservation writes “our annual count this week showed an all-time high of 13 399 total nests (that's 26 678 individual birds), and 5,898 chicks that are ready to fledge from those nests.  This is truly amazing given that the birds only began nesting at Ka`ena in 1994, and only had 317 chicks out of 3777 nests (only 8% of chicks survived) the year the fence was built. Predator exclusion fences make the difference between barely surviving and thriving for many of our native species.”

A Wedge-tailed Shearwater chick in its burrow, photograph by Pacific Rim Conservation

Freeman Seabird Preserve, Oahu

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters also breed on Oahu within the Freeman Seabird Preserve, described as the only colony on the island’s south shore. “This year we started out with more nests, but a higher proportion failed compared with last year. In 2022 we counted 322 chicks on 14 September, out of 395 nests with eggs and chicks the previous 14 July. In 2023 we counted 308 chicks on 14 September out of 427 nests containing incubating adults or unattended eggs on 14 July. This was another record count, despite yielding only four more nests than the previous year. The preserve’s website states that “this unique urban colony has quadrupled in size, from less than 200 breeding birds [in 2009] to over 800 breeding birds.” Although not protected by a predator-proof fence, surveillance and predator control with traps is ongoing during the breeding season, to minimize predation by rats, cats, and mongooses on breeding shearwaters (click here).

Increase in numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding in the Freeman Seabird Preserve, 2009-2023

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kauai

Over on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the shearwaters are also doing well behind a fence according to Pacific Rim Conservation: “It's wedgie week at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR). Approximately 21 000 Wedge-tailed Shearwater pairs nest at KPNWR, and over the last few days our team has been hard at work monitoring 600+ nests across the refuge. This dataset provides us with a baseline of Wedge-tailed Shearwater reproductive success prior to the completion of the refuge's new predator exclusion fence. In the future these surveys will be repeated so that we can study the effectiveness of our management actions.” The new fence was announced as finally completed on 24 October 2023 after a year and a half of construction (click here).

Still under construction. The new fence’s ground skirt to halt entry by digging predators is still to be buried at Kilauea Point, photograph by Scott Yunker (click here)

A predator-proof fence also protects breeding seabirds within Oahu’s James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater with an estimated global population of over 5.2 million birds is not considered nationally or globally threatened.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 November 2023

The Macquarie Island Conservation Foundation (MICF)  has announced its inaugural Grants Round is now open for applications. 

“MICF Grants are available to support researchers, students, members of the community and other groups to deliver projects targeted at the conservation of Macquarie Island. In 2024, there will be $20,000 available with individual grants of no more than $7,500.

Supported projects and activities must demonstrate alignment with one of MICF’s current funding priorities:

1. Conservation priorities
   1. Understanding the impact of climate change on Macquarie Island
   2. Ecosystem recovery following the pest eradication
2. Engagement and Outreach.”

Information on MICF Grants, including the guidelines and the application form, can be found at their website, here. 

The deadline for applications is 5pm AEDT 18 December 2023. 

15 November 2023

A deployed bird-scaring line flutters in the wind, photograph from Projeto Albatroz

The USA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed to modify seabird interaction mitigation measures to require federally permitted Hawaii deep-set longline vessels that target tuna by setting fishing gear from the stern to use a tori or bird scaring line in place of the currently required thawed, blue-dyed bait and strategic offal (fish, fish parts, or spent bait) discharge when fishing north of 23°N latitude. This action, now open for written comment, is expected to improve the overall efficacy and operational practicality of required seabird mitigation measures by reducing seabird bycatch and creating operational and administrative efficiency for fishers and NMFS (click here). The fishery is one that interacts with both Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses.

Deployment of bird-scaring (tori) lines is one of a suite of best-practice mitigation methods for pelagic longline fisheries recommended by the Albatross and Petrel Agreement (click here) and adopted by tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (tRFMOs). The other two of a "triad" are night setting and line weighting, with best practice considered the adoption of all three. Additionally, use of approved hook-shielding devices is also considered best practice. For example, the relevant conservation measure of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) calls for use of two of the three mitigation measures or use of hook-shielding devices south of 30°S. Use of blue-dyed bait is explicitly not recommended by ACAP, which states for this measure that there is “No experimental evidence of effectiveness in pelagic longline fisheries”. For thawing bait it states that there is “No evidence that the thaw status of baits has any effect on the sink rate of baited hooks set on weighted lines”.

Igoir Debski, Co-convenor of the ACAP Seabird Bycatch Working Group confirms: " "Bird-scaring lines (or tori lines) are one of the three primary best-practice seabird bycatch mitigation measures recommended by ACAP.  However, it is important to note that each measure has limitations when used alone. There is a period of time when hooks are accessible to birds even when branch lines are weighted. Night setting used alone is less effective at reducing seabird bycatch for nocturnally active birds and during bright moonlight conditions. Bird-scaring lines used alone can rarely protect baited hooks beyond the aerial extent of the line. Consequently, the simultaneous use of the three ACAP recommended seabird bycatch mitigation measures compensate for these limitations."

Eric Gilman, Pelagic Ecosystems Research Group and a past Senior Fellow at the Safina Center, writes to ACAP Latest News: “A 2021 experiment documented tori [bird-scaring] lines were a more effective seabird bycatch mitigation approach than blue-dyed fish bait in the Hawaii tuna longline fishery. In the late 1990s research was conducted on blue-dyed squid bait, which held some promise at mitigating albatross bycatch, but less so for dyeing blue fish bait darker blue. So, when tori lines are used as prescribed they should be a conservation benefit as a replacement for blue-dyed fish bait.”

Read a "two-pager" that summarizes the proposed rule change here.  It includes a schematic and detailed specifications for the proposed bird-scaring line.

With thanks to Igor Debski, Eric Gilman, Mi Ae Kim and Andre Raine.

References:

Chaloupka, M., Gilman, E., Carnes, M., Ishizaki, A., Brady, C., Swimmer, Y., Wang, J., Ellgen, S. & Kingma, E. 2021. Could Tori Lines replace Blue-dyed Bait to reduce Seabird Bycatch Risk in the Hawaii Deep-set Longline Fishery?  Honolulu: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. 28 pp.

Gilman, E., Chaloupka, M., Ishizaki, A., Carnes, M., Naholowaa, H., Brady, C., Ellgen, S. & Kingma, E. 2021. Tori lines mitigate seabird bycatch in a pelagic longline fishery. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 31: 653-666. (click here).

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 14 November 2023