Albatrosses off the hook in the nick of time

Hope as legislation forces fishing nations to take action

November 2011: Accidentally snagged on longline fishing hooks and then left to drown, the albatross populations in the South Atlantic are among the fastest-declining in the world.

But a new resolution brokered and ratified at the ICCAT (The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) meeting in Istanbul earlier this month is giving hope to these beleaguered birds as Atlantic tuna and swordfish fishing nations will have to ensure vessels take preventative action to avoid accidentally catching these birds.

Worryingly fast decline in numbersOne third of the world's albatrosses nest on the South Atlantic UK Overseas Territories: the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. ICCAT manages all tuna and swordfish fisheries in the Atlantic outside territorial waters. These measures will significantly reduce the number of birds being killed.

At the ICCAT meeting, the seabird measure was jointly proposed by the EU, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay, as well as the UK on behalf of its overseas territories.

Dr Cleo Small, representing the RSPB and BirdLife International, attended the meeting. Speaking from Turkey on the meeting's outcome, she said: ‘This offers significant hope to the protection of these iconic UK birds, whose population declines are among the fastest of any seabird species worldwide. We now have an agreement that all boats working in the open waters of the South Atlantic will have to adopt at least two measures to avoid catching seabirds.'

Great news for other seabirds too'This is great news for albatrosses and other seabirds, many of which die needlessly every minute of the day; the accidental casualties in the tuna and swordfish fisheries.'

The new legislation requires all longline vessels fishing south of latitude 25 degrees S - roughly Brazil to Namibia - to use two out of three measures to reduce bycatch, from a choice of bird streamer (tori) lines, setting lines at night, or adding weight to their baited hooks.

The UK's overseas territories host one third of the world's population of albatross and they have more than half of the population of the Southern Ocean. The South Atlantic has seven species of albatross which nest regularly, and six of these are considered to be facing extinction and overlap with the tuna and swordfish fishing fleets: wandering albatross; sooty albatross; grey-headed albatross; Tristan albatross; black-browed albatross; and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross.

 http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/albatross-bycatch.html

Multi-hook lines ‘kill 300,000 birds a year’

MORE than 300,000 seabirds are thought to be killed every year by longline fisheries, threatening 17 of the 22 species of albatross.

Research being presented at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Aberdeen today will report this global estimate of the impact of the commercial fishing technique.

The technique uses a long line, sometimes up to several miles in length, with thousands of baited hooks on branch lines at regular intervals often to catch swordfish, tuna, and halibut.

Read on...

David Ross Highland Correspondent

Feathers tell century-plus tale of mercury pollution

18 April 2011
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

Albatross feathers from museum specimens have allowed scientists to construct a record of mercury pollution dating back more than 100 years.

The feathers, from the black-footed albatross, contain traces of mercury that the birds picked up when they fed.

The species is endangered; and although fishing is the main cause, the team suggests mercury levels may have been high enough to impair breeding.

The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The team analysed feathers from 54 birds kept in museums at Harvard University and the University of Washington in Seattle, US.

The oldest samples are 120 years old.

There was no trend in overall mercury concentrations over time.

But the level of methylmercury - a toxic form of the metal, formed often by bacteria, did show a rise.

Methylmercury is easily absorbed by marine lifeforms such as small fish; and predators of those lifeforms, such as birds, can end up with big concentrations in their tissue.

It can cause developmental defects in humans, and there is evidence that it can damage reproduction in birds and fish.

"People have looked at mercury levels using museum specimens before, but mostly in the Atlantic," said Scott Edwards, a biology professor at Harvard who also curates the university museum's ornithology collection.

"Ours is one of the first to look at patterns in the Pacific basin; this has the largest number of seabird colonies, has the most endangered colonies, and is under severe threat from mercury emissions from Asia."


Of the other half, the biggest source is coal-burning, with mercury ocurring as a trace element in many coal deposits.

Although the largest historical sources were North America and Europe, Asia now contributes about two-thirds of the total from energy and industry.

Two years ago, governments agreed to establish a global treaty to restrict mercury emissions, a process due to be finalised in 2013. Hooked

The pattern of rising methylmercury concentrations in the feathers is, the researchers suggest, a reflection of rising levels in the environment.

But older samples also contained mercury that had apparently been a component of preservative chemicals applied by curators - chemicals that have largely now been phased out.

The scientists would now like to work with living albatrosses to answer some outstanding questions on mercury's impact.

"We don't have any direct evidence that levels of mercury were impacting their reproductive success," said Professor Edwards.

"What we'd like to do next is to measure levels live albatrosses, and see whether there's a correlation with the chances of seeing their eggs hatching.

"They're fantastic birds, and a very tractable species to study, so I'd love to do some more work with them."

Like many species of albatross, the black-footed - found only in the northern Pacific Ocean - has been badly affected by longline fishing, where vessels trail lines of hooks tens of kilometres long behind them, the hooks baited to attract high-value predatory fish such as tuna and marlin.

The bait also attract albatrosses and turtles, and longlining is a leading cause of mortality in both, though a number of countries have introduced legislation mandating the use of hooks that are safe for turtles and birds.

About half of the mercury going into the atmosphere comes from natural sources such as volcanoes.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13121088
(Via Dawn Holloway)

Rare albatross is unique species

Monday, 21 March 2011
By Ella Davies
Earth News reporter

The world's rarest albatross has been confirmed as a separate species by scientists.

The genetic analysis solves 20 years of debate over the status of the Amsterdam albatross.

Canadian researchers have proven that the birds' DNA varies significantly from wandering albatrosses, their closest living relatives.

Only 170 of the birds remain on Amsterdam Island, where the whole population breed on a single plateau.

Amsterdam albatrosses are very large seabirds that can weigh up to 8kg and have wingspans as large as 3.5m.

The birds are named after Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean, which they use as a breeding ground.

They were first discovered in 1983, but the scientific community has since been divided over whether they are a separate species.

Some scientists believed the birds to be a subspecies of the wandering albatross, which also inhabits the Southern Ocean.

Dr Theresa Burg and her colleagues from the University of Lethbridge, Canada, set out to solve the debate by examining the birds' DNA. Their findings are published in the Journal of Avian Biology.

Dr Burg explained that Amsterdam albatrosses differ in appearance from wandering albatrosses.

"They are slightly smaller in size," she said. "They lay their eggs at a different time and have slightly browner plumage than the other wandering albatrosses."

The team's study also revealed significant differences between the birds' DNA. The analysis showed that Amsterdam albatrosses separated from their cousins, becoming a genetically distinct species, up to 265,000 years ago.

Despite their large wingspan and ability to fly for long distances, Amsterdam albatrosses always return to the same breeding grounds on a single plateau of the island.

They do not share this breeding ground with any other wandering albatrosses and researchers suggest that this geographical isolation is what led the birds to develop as a separate species.

Scientists hope that now the birds are recognised as unique, efforts to conserve them will increase.

"This is one additional, but important, piece of evidence that hopefully can help protect the remaining Amsterdam albatrosses," says Dr Burg.

While the current population is considered stable, the Amsterdam albatross is critically endangered.

An estimated 18-26 pairs breed each year in a tiny area at the centre of the island. Pairs mate for life and produce one egg every other year.

Conservationists say the species' survival is threatened by accidental entanglement in long-line fishing gear and nest-site disturbance by domestic animals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9421000/9421647.stm

Oldest Albatross Survives Tsunami Damage to Midway Atoll Read more at Suite101: Oldest Albatross Survives Tsunami Damage to Midway Atoll

hoto of a Laysan Albatross pair at nest on Midway Atoll.
John Klavitter (US Fish and Wildlife Service)

By Suzan Phillips
Last Updated Mar 14, 2011,
Published Mar 13, 2011

The Laysan Albatross, Wisdom, one of the world's oldest known birds, and her newly hatched chick, have survived a tsunami at Midway Atoll.

14th March 2011 - Among the terrible human tragedy of the Japan earthquakes and the tsunami waves that have swept the Japanese coastline and across the Pacific ocean, comes a good news bird story.

Last week, news sources around the world celebrated Wisdom’s efforts to raise another chick when she is reported to be the oldest known albatross, at more than 60 years old.

Wisdom had returned safely to her nest on Sand Island to raise another chick in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands.

Last Saturday, one of the tidal waves from Japan’s 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Midway Atoll.
The islands of Midway Atoll include a large colony of Laysan Albatross and the second largest breeding population of Black-footed Albatross and these were nesting on the ground with eggs and chicks in the nests this week when the tsunami waves struck.

Tsunami washes away nests and chicks

Staff on Midway Atoll reported that the tsunami that hit Midway Atoll was about 1.4 metres high and flooded some parts of the island. At least some chicks and adult Laysan Albatross were killed and hundreds of chicks were washed away from their nests onto roadways and under bushes. The nests inland were not affected, and by the morning both the adults and chicks there were going about their business as usual, according to one report.

Volunteers and visitors to the island spent the afternoon freeing dozens of albatross chicks that had been washed into and caught inside thickets of naupaka. This often required hacking through the bushes with large clippers and small saws, and either crawling through the spaces or climbing on top of the branches to perch suspended over the ground. Visitors also dug out many petrels who had been trapped and buried in their burrows.

Wisdom had a nest in the inland area, and so was safe. The first Short-tailed Albatross to nest on hard hit Eastern Island was also out of danger.

Kure Atoll colonies also devastated

The colony on Kure Atoll (89km east of Midway), was also devastated. Field Camp manager, Cynthia Vanderlip from Kure Atoll Conservancy said they climbed up onto the roof of their building.
“We are all fine. We stayed on the roof from 12pm until 4 am (on March 11th). Midway called and said that the wave had passed. ... I took a quick walk to see the damage at the beach and it is extensive. The wave washed about 400 feet inland,” she said.
“The Black-foot colony at the pier is gone, chicks are everywhere. Thousands of ghost crabs are cleaning up the dead. The wave washed over the top of the pier and tore the window frames out. The ocean is chocolate brown.”
“I am thankful that our building is 700 feet inland and 20 feet above sea level. We were spared, but I fear for all the other folks in the Pacific. The loss of wildlife breaks my heart. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers,” she said.
News came through to them later on that Wisdom and her chick, as well as the nest of the first Short-tailed Albatross to nest at Midway, had all survived the tsunami.

An albatross with a long record

Biologists suspect that Wisdom’s age may be double or triple the expected life span for a Laysan albatross, but were still gathering information and learning about the species.

Wisdom is the oldest wild specimen in American records, documented during the 90-year history of the US and Canadian bird-banding research program. A US Geological Survey scientist first tagged the bird with an aluminum identification band when she was about 5 years old in 1956 as she was incubating an egg. Since then, Wisdom has logged more than three million flying miles - the equivalent of six round trips to the Moon.

"It's really exciting to see that these birds are long-living and still raising chicks at 60 years old or older," said US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, John Klavitter, who spotted Wisdom with her chick in February.

Sand Island is the largest piece of land in the Midway Atoll area. Midway is a tiny US territory that lies about a third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo in the North Pacific. The chick, whose gender is unknown at present, was doing well. Wisdom and her mate were taking turns feeding it, and the young bird will soon be banded, said Klavitter.

“Wisdom has probably raised about 35 chicks during her lifetime. Her species generally mates with one partner for life and lays only one egg at a time”, he said. Wisdom also nested in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Many threats to breeding success

Wisdom has had five bird bands since she was first banded by US Geological Survey scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956 as she incubated an egg. Chandler rediscovered Wisdom in 2001.

In 1956, he estimated Wisdom to be at least five years old then, since this is the earliest age at which these birds breed, though they more typically breed at 8 or 9 after an involved courtship lasting several years. This means, of course, that Wisdom is likely to be in her early sixties.

“Wisdom is now the oldest wild bird documented in the 90-year history of our USGS-FWS and Canadian bird banding program,"said Bruce Peterjohn, the chief of the North American Bird Banding Program.

"To know that she can still successfully raise young at age 60-plus, that is beyond words. While the process of banding a bird has not changed greatly during the past century, the information provided by birds marked with a simple numbered metal band has transformed our knowledge of birds," he said.

Albatross lay only one egg a year, but it takes much of a year to incubate and raise the chick. After years in which they have successfully raised and fledged a chick – which on Midway is about two-thirds of the time – the adults may take the occasional next year off from parenting.

Laysan albatross also breed on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, at Kaena Point, and on Kauai, at Kilauea Point. They feed in areas off the west coast of North America, including the Gulf of Alaska, and spend their first three to five years constantly flying, never touching land. Scientists believe they even sleep while flying over the ocean.

Nineteen of the world’s 21 albatross species are listed as threatened with extinction from a variety of causes, including lead poisoning. On Midway Atoll, injuries from longline fishing, climate change and ingestion of garbage floating on the ocean threaten the area’s albatross species.

http://www.suite101.com/content/oldest-albatross-survives-tsunami-damage-to-midway-atoll-a358474

Scientists: Oldest wild bird in US is new mother

US Geological Survey

In this Febuary 2011 photo provided by the US
Geological Survey, a Laysan albatross, roughly
60-years-old, named Wisdom is seen with a chick
at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge near
Hawaii. A U.S. Geological Survey scientist first
banded the seabird as she incubated an egg in
1956. She was estimated to be at least five years
old at the time. The albatross has since worn out
five bird bands.

The Associated Press

The oldest known wild bird in the U.S. is a new mother. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist spotted the Laysan albatross that's at least 60 years old a few weeks ago. It was with a chick at Midway Atoll, a remote wildlife refuge 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.

A U.S. Geological Survey scientist first banded the seabird as she incubated an egg in 1956. She was estimated to be at least 5 years old at the time. The albatross has since worn out five bird bands.

Bruce Peterjohn, the chief of the North American Bird Banding Program, said the albatross is the oldest wild bird documented by the 90-year-old bird banding program, which is run by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Canada.

"She looks great," Peterjohn said in a news release Tuesday. "To know that she can still successfully raise young at age 60-plus, that is beyond words."

The bird, named Wisdom, has likely raised at least 30 to 35 chicks during her life, Peterjohn said.

Albatross lay just one egg a year. But it takes most of a year to incubate and raise a chick, and the seabirds sometimes take a year off from parenting after successfully raising a fledged bird.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/08/2708763/scientists-oldest-wild-bird-in.html