Seabirds Funds Advisory Group
We have been working with the Seabirds Funds Advisory Group, headed by Dr Graham Robertson, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, since 2001. Each year, the SFAG asks for tenders from scientists around the world to receive funding for research projects on albatross conservation.
Based on the advice of the Advisory Group, Peregrine has provided funding for several projects, including an albatross tracking project based on Diego Ramirez Island, near Cape Horn, that traced the foraging flight paths of black-browed albatross and helped identify ocean regions where the birds are most at risk from fishing activities.
Bait Setting
The underwater bait setting capsule, or BS30 Bait Setter, is an underwater bait delivery system designed for tuna and swordfish long-line fisheries. The BS30 is stern-mounted and hydraulically-operated, and delivers baited hooks several metres beneath the waters’ surface. The principal components are the capsule, cart, catcher unit and carriageway. Baits are held inside the capsule which is held in a carrier (the cart), which is fitted to a carriageway mounted to the vessel stern. The cart includes a catcher unit that ‘catches’ the capsule on the return stroke from the water after the baited hook has been released. The cart and capsule are connected to the BS30 hydraulics by Spectra rope. Upon firing, the cart (and capsule) slides down the carriageway at ~ 6 m/s. At the end of the carriageway the capsule leaves the cart and free-falls to a pre-determined depth in the water column. The hydraulics then reverse, releasing the baited hook from the capsule through spring loaded doors. The capsule returns to the cart/carriageway assembly and then to the setting position for the cycle to be repeated.
The BS30 has the potential to greatly reduce or eliminate seabird mortality in pelagic long-line fisheries worldwide.
An effective underwater bait delivery system has never been developed for any longline fishing method (pelagic or demersal) in the world. The BS30 is being developed by Amerro Engineering, Queensland, Australia, in collaboration with the Australian Antarctic Division. Funding has been provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (USA), Peregrine Adventures (Australia).
Progress to date
In the past 15 months the BS30 concept has been brought from a prototype version to a professionally engineered Mk1 version. The prototype was made by a fisherman and was of very basic construction. Development of the Mk1 version required a considerable amount of time computer modelling the design and sourcing the most suitable components. To date, the basic design, hydraulic systems, carriage way (runway down vessel stern), the cart, catcher unit and control box have been completed. The current version of the capsule itself, which is still a prototype version, will suffice until the initial operational testing phase has been completed, at which point the capsule will be re-designed. The final version of the capsule will be moulded from bronze. The functions of the underwater setter are controlled by a control box. The functions include the deployment of the capsule, the timing of setting and retrieval, speed of setting and retrieval, underwater depth of bait release and the transmission of operational information to vessel monitoring systems (VMS). Transmission of information on the operation of the BS30 to vessel VMS is essential to ensure fisher compliance when vessels are at sea without an on-board observer.
Engineer Peter Ashworth setting up the control box (right) by computer. The control box controls all the functions of the underwater setter, including speed and duration of cycling and transmission of functions to vessel VMS, which is an essential component of monitoring compliance.
Plans for 2009
In 2009 we intend conducting a designed experiment on a chartered fishing vessel in a high risk area of the southern hemisphere to determine the effectiveness of the BS30 in deterring seabirds. The experiment will compare underwater setting v surface setting from the stern v surface setting from the side in a head-to-head experimental design. The experiment will most likely occur in Uruguay, because of the very high albatross and petrel mortality rates caused by the fishery there, or in Chile or South Africa. Depending on the results of that experiment, a simplified version of the experiment may be conducted in Chile to test effectiveness in deterring shearwaters.
If these experiments go well we would then hope to commence implementing BS30s into southern hemisphere fisheries that continue to take unacceptably high numbers of seabirds.
Seabird Bycatch in Peru
We are now into the third year of a project that focuses on the long-line fisheries of Peru. In theory, the birds we see on our South Georgia and Falkland Islands voyages could be caught by fishermen off the coast of Peru.
Information is scarce regarding seabird bycatch along the Pacific coast of South America. The goal of the project is to start changing this by collecting information on seabird bycatch in small scale (artisanal) fisheries in Peru, to provide the basic tools to locals for the monitoring and management of seabirds and to promote local participation in seabird conservation.
Typically, the Peruvian boats are of about three to ten tons capacity (ie. relatively small). These boats use both long-lines and gillnets, depending on the time of year and the resources available.
Even though these boats are small, the fishery is not. There are many hundreds of these boats fishing along the coast. The long-liners may have anywhere from 500 to 1500 hooks. Depending on the time of year, they may fish for 7 days or up to 15 days. They may fish close to the coast or as far out as about 650 kilometres (400 miles), but this depends on the species targeted). The potential impact this fishery is having on albatross populations is both huge and poorly understood.
In the first year of the project, research collected indicated that between 1533 and 4292 albatrosses and petrels were being caught annually by the long-line fleet. Since then, Joanna and Jeffrey, the principal researchers, have instigated an on-board observer program in conjunction with local fishers and government and conducted education programs along the coast for fishermen, government and concerned community members to help them manage their natural resources. The research data will also be made available to the Peruvian Government for use in developing a National Plan of Action (NPOA) for fisheries, in line with international agreements under CCAMLR.
Investigation of Mitigation Measures
This study compared three different mitigation measures designed to prevent birds being struck by warp cables which are run from the stern of finfish trawlers in the waters of the Falklands and elsewhere.
The Falklands – which we visit several times each year aboard the Peregrine Mariner and Peregrine Voyager – are home to around 70% of the world's population of black-browed albatross. A 2000/2001 census estimated a reduction of 87,500 birds over the past five years. Up to 90 black-browed albatrosses have been recorded killed in a single day's fishing.
In the Falkland Islands finfish fleet, 98% of black-browed albatross mortalities are caused when birds scavenge factory waste left lying on the stern of the ship during trawling operations and are struck by the warp cable, which drags them underwater until they become impaled on a splice in the cable.
The result of the project was the successful identification, through on-board trials, of a mitigation device for the Falkland Islands finfish fleet that is both operationally effective and economically practicable and may have application for the large freezer trawler fleet operating on the broader Patagonian Shelf and in other factory trawl fisheries around the world.
Bioregionalisation of the Southern Ocean Workshop and Report
In November, 2006, Peregrine Adventures and WWF-Australia released a ground-breaking report that maps ecological zones across the entire Southern Ocean for the first time. The report was produced by WWF-Australia and funded by Peregrine. Leading scientists from around the world gathered in Hobart in September to create the map, which forms part of the report, entitled Bioregionalisation of the Southern Ocean (link to report). It is the first time an entire ocean - representing about 10% of the world's ocean surface - has been mapped for its ecological zones.
The report was launched to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, (CCAMLR) at its headquarters in Hobart.
This map will help scientists and conservationists better understand the Southern Ocean so that we can address the major threats to its habitats and wildlife, such as illegal fishing, climate change and the impact of invasive marine species.
The report will have important ramifications for how conservation issues will be managed in the Southern Ocean and will provide a scientific foundation for protecting sensitive Antarctic marine habitats and wildlife.
Macquarie Island Feral Pest Eradication Campaign
Continuing our previous partnerships, Peregrine joined with WWF-Australia to lobby the Tasmanian and Australian governments respectively to fund a pest eradication program which had been developed by Tasmanian National Parks. The plan was essentially developed in 2005 and its implementation is pending a funding agreement being finalised between the Tasmanian and Federal governments, each of which has a duty of care for the island. Two years on, the plan was still languishing for want of a funding agreement, which is bogged down by a stalemate between the two governments over their respective financial responsibilities.
Peregrine and WWF-Australia stepped in with A$100,000, raised through our on-board Save the Albatross auctions, to kick-start key parts of the plan and to spur the governments into action. Largely as a result of lobbying and a concerted media campaign, the two governments were galvanized into action with the final result being the June 4 announcement. If funding had not been forthcoming by the end of June, there would not only have been further cost blow outs, but the plan’s implementation would have been delayed by another year… which could have been too late.
Glenyce Johnson, CEO of Peregrine, welcomed the decision. "This will help to ensure a future for one of Australia’s – and the world’s – most spectacular and environmentally significant island habitats. As a responsible tourism operator, we could not stand by and watch the destruction of Macquarie. We’re proud to have played a part in this extraordinary outcome. The partnership between WWF-Australia and Peregrine sets a precedent for what can be achieved by environmental groups and tourism operators working together."
For more information on the Macquarie Island situation, click here or visit the ship-board blog of Andreas Glanznig, WWF Senior Policy Officer, who is travelling to Macquarie Island aboard the Aurora Australis to assess the environmental situation on behalf of WWF and Peregrine.
Download a fact sheet on Macquarie Island here.or click here to view the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project Newsletter.
Albatross and Prion Islands Conservation Programme
Albatross and Prion Islands in South Georgia are the only places on the planet where tourists are able to see wandering albatross in their nesting grounds. With these birds as a species under threat of extinction, it is critically important to monitor populations and the impact of various factors, such as the increased numbers of fur seals and tourists.
As a responsible tourism operator, Peregrine has provided funding for three years for Sally Poncet’s on-going work in which she carries out annual monitoring of wandering albatrosses, giant petrels, vegetation and visitors and promotes awareness of management, quarantine and site sensitivity issues.
Prion and Albatross Islands contain approximately 13% of South Georgia’s wandering albatross population and the data from eight breeding seasons (1999-2006) show that their breeding population decreased by over 25%, similar to the trend reported at nearby Bird Island (where no visitors are allowed). Over the same period of time, the number of visitors to Albatross Island and Prion Island has more than doubled. The impact of visitors was deemed sufficient to warrant the closure of Albatross Island in the 2004-05 season which has put additional pressure on Prion Island, where the number of visitors doubled in 2005-06.
Impact on Prion Island is also being assessed. The installation of a boardwalk now appears likely in an effort to minimise disturbance to wildlife and vegetation trampling, however Peregrine is among locals, scientists and other concerned stakeholders in opposing the installation of this man-made structure. We believe that if the impact of tourism is unsustainable, Prion Island too should be closed to visitors. While this will be disappointing to some, the birds’ survival is clearly more important than a close-up photo opportunity. We believe that the majesty of the birds can be perfectly appreciated from a distance (such as from a Zodiac) that will not affect the birds.
Latest Update – April 2009
Wandering albatrosses are suffering significant losses on South Georgia, where there was a decline of approximately 7% in the population last year. The population has declined from about 2000 breeding pairs in the 1960’s to about 800 in 2007 (which co-insides with an increase in southern ocean fishing).
Sally Poncet is working with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and it’s believed there is a need for ongoing tagging and tracking, particularly with juvenile wandering albatrosses. Each tag costs about US$4000. As soon as we receive more information about what is needed you will find an update on our website. Sally hopes to join us for part of the 24 night 6th November Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica voyage