Albatrosses and petrels given a real chance for survival

Posted on June, 19 2001

WWF-Australia has described a new international agreement, signed in Canberra today by 23 nations, as the first step toward arresting the dramatic decline of the world's albatross and petrel populations.

Canberra, Australia: An Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) was signed today (19 June) at Australia's Parliament House by representatives of all southern hemisphere nations surrounding the Southern Ocean (the home range of the birds) and by nations with interests in the region.

Signatories of the new Agreement include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, UK, USA, France, Japan and Norway.

"WWF has strongly supported this Agreement which takes a trans-national approach to protecting the globe trotting birds of the Southern Oceans, and aims 'to achieve and maintain a favourable conservation status for albatrosses and petrels.

"The Australian Government has led efforts to develop and finalize this Agreement both at international and national levels.

WWF-Australia has previously advocated successfully for the listing of Albatrosses on Australia's Endangered Species Act (1992) and for the listing of the key threatening process of commercial long line fishing on seabird mortality.

Longline fishing is a major source of death for 12 of the 14 albatross species currently recognized.

Longline fishing, primarily for tuna, attracts seabirds by providing a supply of food through thousands of baited hooks which are set off the stern of fishing vessels and trail behind the boats for up to 120km. Albatrosses and other seabirds dive or swoop on the bait, become hooked and are drowned when the baited lines sink.

Albatrosses have the highest proportion of threatened species of any bird family.

Margaret Moore, WWF-Australia's Senior Marine Policy Officer, is a member of Australia's Threat Abatement Plan and Recovery Plan teams and is working with the Australian Government to develop and implement a new national Action Plan to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) Fishing.

"This Agreement is a good first step which must be maximized by effective action from all nations who are signatories," she said.

"What is needed is full independent observer coverage on these vessels to ensure accurate reporting of seabird mortality so that the full extent of devastation is known.

Nightsetting of baits when there is less interaction between birds and fishing vessels is now mandatory and other measures such as underwater bait delivery shoots must be tested, and introduced across the industry if found to be effective."

Contact: Rosslyn Beeby, WWF-Australia Media Relations. Tel: +61 2 9281 5515. E-mail: rbeeby@wwf.org.au