Many populations of albatrosses and petrels are decreasing, some at an alarming rate. New research from South Georgia reveals that three species of albatross nesting on the islands have declined at an alarming rate over the past 30 years and unless these declines can be halted or reversed, the islands' albatrosses could face extinction. At South Georgia wandering albatrosses are decreasing at 2%/year (a decrease of over 30% since 1986), grey-headed albatrosses at 3%/year (over 31% since 1991) and black-browed albatrosses at nearly 4%/year (a 44% decrease since 1990). At the Falkland Islands, which is a strong hold for black-browed albatrosses, about 17,000 albatrosses are lost each year.

These decreases are unsustainable.

Longline and trawl fishing operations are two of the main reasons for the decreases. Longline and trawl fisheries operate in most areas of the ocean where vulnerable seabird species range. When seabirds encounter fishing vessels they habitually follow them, being attracted by the offal and fish discards expelled into the sea as part of fishing operations. During line setting in longline fishing, when baited hooks are deployed, seabirds attack the baits, become hooked or entangled in the gear, dragged underwater and drown. In trawling operations, seabirds die when they collide with the warp cables (thick steel cables used to haul nets on board vessels), and when they become entangled in the trawl nets. The Save the Albatross Campaign helps support the mitigation measures being instituted by the enthusiastic team trying to protect these threatened birds.

What can you do to help?

 Donate to the Save the Albatross Campaign
 
Birds Australia is a partner to the UK-based Birdlife International which runs the global campaign to save albatrosses. Birds Australia administers part of that campaign, that dealing with money raised on ships operated by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO). The funds from IAATO cruises are raised is association with a lecture on albatross/fisheries interactions. Funds raised are sent to Birds Australia and their use is overseen by a six-person steering group. The steering group consists of people from the UK, Spain, New Zealand, Argentina, Falkland Islands and Australia. The funds are spent on projects designed to reduce the mortality of albatrosses and petrels in fishing operations.

To read more about the Global Seabird Program, download the Sea Change newsletter.

Sea Change Aug 2008 (1.9mb)
Sea Change Nov 2007 (1.2mb)

IAATO Save the Albatross Newsletter Oct 2009 (1.5mb)
IAATO Save the Albatross Newsletter #3 (1.3mb)

Wandering Albatross © Dean Ingwersen

Shy Albatross in flight © Dean Ingwersen

Black-browed Albatross © Dean Ingwersen