Saving Indian Ocean seabirds

This is a black-browed albatross video.

Indian ocean seabirds get thrown a lifeline

12-06-2008

The 12th meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) this week (June 7-11) in Muscat, Oman has struck a major step forward for seabird conservation by adopting a measure to reduce the bycatch of vulnerable albatross and petrel species.

All longline vessels fishing for tuna and swordfish in the southern Indian Ocean (south of 30°S) will be required to use a combination of at least two measures to reduce seabird bycatch. …

Birds that will benefit include Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans, the Critically Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis (only 17 pairs remaining), Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta [see also photo here] from Australia, and also Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys from South Georgia (a UK Overseas Territory), which visit the rich feeding grounds off coast of South Africa in the non-breeding season.

This is a BBC wandering albatross video.

Scientists have confirmed that the world’s rarest albatross, the Amsterdam albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis), is indeed a separate species, ending 20 years of debate on the status of this Critically Endangered bird: here.

Stop seabird slaughter through EU Fisheries Policy: here.

After a 3-year seabird risk assessment that found tuna and swordfish longline fishing has significant impacts on Atlantic seabird populations, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) failed to act at a recent meeting in Recife, Brazil: here.

June 2010: Brazilian seabird conservationists have made a breakthrough with the protection of several species of imperiled albatross as their efforts have shown that with simple measures around nine out of the ten albatrosses caught on longline fishing hooks three years ago can now be saved: here.