Thousands of albatross die each year from entanglement with fishing gear. Primarily, albatrosses scavenge for baits containing hooks that are dropped over the side of vessels fishing for tuna and other pelagic fish (see BirdLife International's website "Save the Albatross" for more details. Of course the birds don't know that when they bite into the fish, they are being hooked and eventually pulled underwater by the wait of the longline as it sinks. Unfortunately, this is one of the greatest threats to albatross populations. There have been some innovative researchers who have developed safe methods to reduce this bycatch, but not all fishers have implemented these bird avoidance measures. One international treaty that may help is called the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. This international treaty and its signatories hope to reduce or eliminate bird bycatch by implementing new fishing policies.

In our own back yard (i.e. North Pacific), black-footed albatrosses are threatened by these activities, as are Laysan and short-tailed albatrosses. Although many international organizations recognize that black-footed albatrosses are currently endangered, the U.S. government has yet to make a determination pending the outcome of further population analyses. Last week, however, the federal government took one step closer by announcing the "initiation of a formal review to determine if the black-footed albatross should receive the protections of the Endangered Species Act". This is significant because many have long awaited the initation of this process. This issue is not easy to resolve because the implications are far-reaching. However, it is a substantial step in the right direction. Although TOPP research (and many others) shows that black-footed albatrosses range widely throughout the Pacific, 95% of the world's populations breed in U.S. territorial waters. Therefore, the U.S. is a major stake-holder in this process of conserving black-footed albatross populations whether at the colony or at sea. For more information on albatross conservation, also check out the links above as well as:

North Pacific Albatross Working Group.

Oikonos Ecosystem Science

Stay tuned, because this will likely drag on for some time. Be sure to check out the TOPP data page to follow the adventures of our fledgling black-footed and Laysan albatrosses.