Albatross conservation

La información de presencia de albatros (Diomedeidae) y aves oceánicas en aguas de Costa Rica en general es limitada. Aquí documento el primer registro de la especie Thalassarche salvini (Albatros de Salvin) para Costa Rica. Además, reporto 18 nuevos registros de Phoebastria irrorata (Albatros de Galápagos) en aguas costarricenses del 2015 al 2023, con lo que se actualiza el estado de conocimiento de la presencia de esta especie en el país.

The so-called "Shy Albatross complex" includes four taxa, all breeding on islands off Australia and New Zealand (Marchant & Higgins 1990). Historically, these taxa have generally been placed under a single polytypic species: the Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta (Marchant & Higgins 1990, Carboneras 1992). However, they are nowadays considered as either three or four species in the genus Thalassarche, based on phenotypic, molecular, and behavioral (differences in breeding times) characters (Robertson & Nunn 1998, Taxonomy Working Group 2006, Sangster et al. 2015). Robertson & Nunn (1998), adopting the Phylogenetic Species Concept as defined by Cracraft (1983), proposed the recognition of three species in addition to T. cauta (stricto sensu): Whitecapped T. steadi, Salvin's T. salvini, and Chatham T. eremita Albatrosses. This four-way split has been adopted by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels-ACAP (Taxonomy Working Group 2006, ACAP 2011) and BirdLife International (2016), but rejected by some authors. The point of disagreement is whether or not a species status should be given to the Whitecapped Albatross. For example, to Sangster et al. (2015), the available evidence justifies its assignment to the subspecific rank under T. cauta. Here, we follow ACAP (2011) and BirdLife International (2016) in considering the White-capped Albatross as a distinct species.

We analyse the interactions of seabirds with the Uruguayan long-line fishing fleet in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, with a focus on White-capped Albatrosses (Thalassarche (cauta) steadi). The aim of this work is to determine the species composition of the incidental by-catch of seabirds and assess the importance (in terms of abundance) of White-capped Albatross in the seabird assemblage attending this fishery. Counts of seabirds associated with fishing vessels (n = 132 counts) were made during five commercial fishing trips in Uruguayan waters, and the incidental by-catch of seabirds per line-set (n = 44 line-sets) was recorded. Of 25 species of seabird recorded in association with the vessels, five were incidentally caught on long-lines. The relative frequency of occurrence of shy-type albatrosses (cauta-type) observed was 25% and their abundance was in the range 0-20 birds; most birds seen were immatures. The three specimens of shy-type albatrosses caught, along with two other specimens caught by the fleet in 2004, were identified by molecular analysis. All were confirmed to be White-capped Albatrosses, suggesting this species is the predominant one among the shy-type albatrosses occurring in the region. Before this study, there was little information on seabirds for this region of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and it was not included in the distribution of the White-capped Albatross. However, the results of this study confirm its occurrence in this region, expanding its global range and show that it is exposed to pelagic long-line fisheries in this part of the Atlantic.

The so-called "Shy Albatross complex" includes four taxa, all breeding on islands off Australia and New Zealand (Marchant & Higgins 1990). Historically, these taxa have generally been placed under a single polytypic species: the Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta (Marchant & Higgins 1990, Carboneras 1992). However, they are nowadays considered as either three or four species in the genus Thalassarche, based on phenotypic, molecular, and behavioral (differences in breeding times) characters (Robertson & Nunn 1998, Taxonomy Working Group 2006, Sangster et al. 2015). Robertson & Nunn (1998), adopting the Phylogenetic Species Concept as defined by Cracraft (1983), proposed the recognition of three species in addition to T. cauta (stricto sensu): Whitecapped T. steadi, Salvin's T. salvini, and Chatham T. eremita Albatrosses. This four-way split has been adopted by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels-ACAP (Taxonomy Working Group 2006, ACAP 2011) and BirdLife International (2016), but rejected by some authors. The point of disagreement is whether or not a species status should be given to the Whitecapped Albatross. For example, to Sangster et al. (2015), the available evidence justifies its assignment to the subspecific rank under T. cauta. Here, we follow ACAP (2011) and BirdLife International (2016) in considering the White-capped Albatross as a distinct species.

The so-called "Shy Albatross complex" includes four taxa, all breeding on islands off Australia and New Zealand (Marchant & Higgins 1990). Historically, these taxa have generally been placed under a single polytypic species: the Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta (Marchant & Higgins 1990, Carboneras 1992). However, they are nowadays considered as either three or four species in the genus Thalassarche, based on phenotypic, molecular, and behavioral (differences in breeding times) characters (Robertson & Nunn 1998, Taxonomy Working Group 2006, Sangster et al. 2015). Robertson & Nunn (1998), adopting the Phylogenetic Species Concept as defined by Cracraft (1983), proposed the recognition of three species in addition to T. cauta (stricto sensu): Whitecapped T. steadi, Salvin's T. salvini, and Chatham T. eremita Albatrosses. This four-way split has been adopted by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels-ACAP (Taxonomy Working Group 2006, ACAP 2011) and BirdLife International (2016), but rejected by some authors. The point of disagreement is whether or not a species status should be given to the Whitecapped Albatross. For example, to Sangster et al. (2015), the available evidence justifies its assignment to the subspecific rank under T. cauta. Here, we follow ACAP (2011) and BirdLife International (2016) in considering the White-capped Albatross as a distinct species.

On 13 November 2011, an immature female White-capped Albatross Thalassarche steadi (identified using discriminant functions and molecular techniques) was found alive on a beach in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Its complete skeleton was prepared and deposited at Museu de Ciências Naturais da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Although there are previous records of “Shy-type Albatrosses” – which collectively includes both Shy Albatross T. cauta and T. steadi – in Brazil, this is the first record of a “Shy-type Albatross” identified to the species-level in the country.

This chapter focuses on tourism and the conservation of yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) and the northern royal albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) on New Zealand's Otago Peninsula. These wildlife species have proven to be very valuable tourism resources and expenditure by tourists coming to view these species adds substantially to incomes and employment in the Dunedin region of New Zealand. This chapter examines the role of tourism in supporting the conservation of these species, and the contribution to income and unemployment in the Dunedin region of the tourism generated by these species, both of which are considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be endangered. This is followed by a general discussion of how wildlife which is used to meet the demands of tourists should be valued, and consideration is given to whether landholders relying on income from wildlife-based tourism can be expected to conserve wildlife species to an extent that is socially optimal from an economic point of view.

We analyse the interactions of seabirds with the Uruguayan long-line fishing fleet in the south-western Atlantic Ocean, with a focus on White-capped Albatrosses (Thalassarche (cauta) steadi). The aim of this work is to determine the species composition of the incidental by-catch of seabirds and assess the importance (in terms of abundance) of White-capped Albatross in the seabird assemblage attending this fishery. Counts of seabirds associated with fishing vessels (n = 132 counts) were made during five commercial fishing trips in Uruguayan waters, and the incidental by-catch of seabirds per line-set (n = 44 line-sets) was recorded. Of 25 species of seabird recorded in association with the vessels, five were incidentally caught on long-lines. The relative frequency of occurrence of shy-type albatrosses (cauta-type) observed was 25% and their abundance was in the range 0-20 birds; most birds seen were immatures. The three specimens of shy-type albatrosses caught, along with two other specimens caught by the fleet in 2004, were identified by molecular analysis. All were confirmed to be White-capped Albatrosses, suggesting this species is the predominant one among the shy-type albatrosses occurring in the region. Before this study, there was little information on seabirds for this region of the south-western Atlantic Ocean and it was not included in the distribution of the White-capped Albatross. However, the results of this study confirm its occurrence in this region, expanding its global range and show that it is exposed to pelagic long-line fisheries in this part of the Atlantic.

We analyse the interactions of seabirds with the Uruguayan long-line fishing fleet in the south-western Atlantic Ocean, with a focus on White-capped Albatrosses (Thalassarche (cauta) steadi). The aim of this work is to determine the species composition of the incidental by-catch of seabirds and assess the importance (in terms of abundance) of White-capped Albatross in the seabird assemblage attending this fishery. Counts of seabirds associated with fishing vessels (n = 132 counts) were made during five commercial fishing trips in Uruguayan waters, and the incidental by-catch of seabirds per line-set (n = 44 line-sets) was recorded. Of 25 species of seabird recorded in association with the vessels, five were incidentally caught on long-lines. The relative frequency of occurrence of shy-type albatrosses (cauta-type) observed was 25% and their abundance was in the range 0-20 birds; most birds seen were immatures. The three specimens of shy-type albatrosses caught, along with two other specimens caught by the fleet in 2004, were identified by molecular analysis. All were confirmed to be White-capped Albatrosses, suggesting this species is the predominant one among the shy-type albatrosses occurring in the region. Before this study, there was little information on seabirds for this region of the south-western Atlantic Ocean and it was not included in the distribution of the White-capped Albatross. However, the results of this study confirm its occurrence in this region, expanding its global range and show that it is exposed to pelagic long-line fisheries in this part of the Atlantic.

To examine the current management of trawl fisheries is important to ensure albatross mortality is not being overlooked. By-catch of albatrosses in trawl fisheries occurs cryptically, which has hindered the development of conservation policy. The implementation of tasked seabird observer programmes in trawl fisheries, nevertheless, has shown that albatross mortality can happen at threatening levels. Consequently, mitigation measures have been developed and adopted in some trawl fisheries. Despite this, some trawl fisheries lack clear policy in relation to albatross mortality. In this context, I investigated the management of potential albatross mortality in a state trawl fishery, the New South Wales Ocean Trawl, in Australia. I conducted a literature search and addressed a set of questions to the responsible management agency through questions on notice at the State Parliament of New South Wales to understand albatross interactions from a policy standpoint. My results indicate that current policy neither encompasses albatross mortality nor is evidence-based. However, the combination of characteristics of this fishery and its overlap with albatross occurrence, along with the reported albatross mortality from other trawl fisheries, may warrant the need to collect empirical evidence on potential albatross interactions. Hence, the responsible management agency should take action according to legal obligations. In this scenario, I recommend the implementation of a tasked seabird observer programme, collection of baseline data, and adoption of adaptive management by the examined fishery. As uncertainty can hamper conservation efforts because management actions require evidence, it is imperative to fill current information gaps in this fishery. Additionally, an improved understanding of albatross mortality from individual trawl fisheries across different fisheries management jurisdictions will enable the prioritization of conservation efforts of this avian taxon in an international and multi-gear fishing context. Croxall, J. P., 2008. Seabird mortality and trawl fisheries. Anim. Cons. 11: 255-256. Department of the Environment and Water Resources, 2006. Abatement plan for the incidental catch (or by-catch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations.