ACAP Conservation Guidelines

Serafini, P.P.; Vanstreels, R.E.T.; Giacinti, J.; Uhart, M.; Dewar, M.; Wille, M.; Roberts, L.; Gamble, A.; Gartrell, B.; Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G.; Baker, H.; Younger, J.; Black, J.; Chauca, J.; Huyvaert. K.P.; Michael, S.; Boulinier, T.; Work, T.; Lopez, V. Guidelines for working with albatrosses and petrels during the high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx panzootic, November 2024. Document prepared for the Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), 17 pages.

The ongoing panzootic of high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) started in 2021 and has since caused the death of millions of birds and spread to six continents. While HPAIV H5Nx have been recognized as a threat to the poultry industry since their emergence in 1996, a genetic shift occurred in 2021 which led to a surge in cases among wild birds, especially seabirds. There has been a dramatic expansion in the taxonomic diversity of known susceptible species, which now comprise birds and mammals of more than 356 species across 21 orders (for a detailed list, refer to https://www.fao.org/animal-health/situation-updates/global-aiv-with-zoonotic- potential/bird-species-affected-by-h5nx-hpai/en). In addition to the enormous impact on wild birds, HPAIV H5Nx has affected a wide diversity of mammals, including several wild marine mammal groups such as pinnipeds and cetaceans, and domestic cattle in the USA.

First published July 2022, last updated 1 November 2024. 

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Wolfaardt A. 2020.  Biosecurity and quarantine guidelines for ACAP breeding sites. 

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines on biosecurity management for breeding sites of ACAP species, and to provide a selected bibliography and list of online resources. These guidelines should not be considered a substitute for obtaining appropriate and detailed advice from biosecurity experts.  First published August 2011, last updated March 2020.

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Tissue sampling guidelines following disease outbreak - external resource

Unusual animal mortalities, although rare, have been observed amongst Antarctic wildlife. It is always possible that such phenomena are caused by disease introduced or spread by humans. The Australian Antarctic Division has developed an Unusual Animal Mortality Response Plan [PDF] to provide guidance on what to do if sick or dead animals are discovered in unusually high numbers or with signs that suggest disease.

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The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines to assist with the development of plans for the eradication of introduced vertebrates from breeding sites of ACAP species. These relate mainly to islands, but many of the same principles will apply to mainland sites. The paper should not be considered as a substitute for obtaining appropriate and detailed advice from eradication experts.  First published October 2009, last updated September 2019.

See also: Phillips, R.A. 2010. Eradications of invasive mammals from islands: why, where, how and what next? Emu 110: i-vii.

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Wolfaardt, A. and Phillips, R. 2020.  Guideline census methodologies for albatrosses and petrels. 

The purpose of this paper is to consider the available methods and provide guidelines to assist with the development and implementation of plans to census ACAP species. These guidelines cover both surface-nesting and burrow-nesting ACAP species. The paper should not be considered a substitute for obtaining appropriate and detailed advice from appropriate experts.  First published January 2013, last updated January 2020.

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Census Guidelines using drones or satellites – external resource

Attard, M.R.G.; Phillips, R.A.; Bowler, E.; Clarke, P.J.; Cubaynes, H.; Johnston, D.W.; Fretwell, P.T. 2024. Review of Satellite Remote Sensing and Unoccupied Aircraft Systems for Counting Wildlife on Land. Remote Sensing 16:627. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16040627

This review provides an introduction for wildlife biologists and managers relatively new to the field on how to implement remote-sensing techniques (satellite and unoccupied aircraft systems) for counting large vertebrates on land, including marine predators that return to land to breed, haul out or roost, to encourage wider application of these technological solutions.

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Parker, G. C. and Rexer-Huber, K. 2020. Guidelines for designing population surveys of burrowing petrels. 

First published March 2016, last updated January 2020.

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Small et al. 2013 - first published in Marine Policy and re-published here with permission. 

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Jacobs, J., Deguchi, T., Perriman, L., Flint, E., Gummer, H., and Uhart, M. 2020. Guidelines for translocations of albatrosses and petrels.

First published March 2015, last updated February 2020.

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Uhart, M., Gallo, L., and Pereira Serafini, P. 2020. Sampling guidelines to assess plastic ingestion in ACAP species.

These guidelines provide a standardized approach for sampling ACAP species to assess plastic ingestion (macro and microplastics, as well as chemical compounds) with an array of sample type choices that should enable collection in diverse settings.

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McInnes, J. 2020.  Field collection protocols for DNA dietary analysis of seabird scats. 

First published December 2016, updated September 2020.

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