Largest seabird event ever aims high

The world's foremost experts on albatrosses, penguins and other marine birds are meeting in Victoria on Vancouver Island, Canada, this week for the largest seabird event ever held. With seabirds becoming increasingly threatened, and at a faster rate globally than all other species-groups of birds, delegates will be discussing the urgent need for conservation action, and are setting their sights high.

Professor John Croxall, Chairman of BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme, said: "We hope to close the meeting with an announcement that we have formed a new international governing body to address and collaborate on seabird monitoring and conservation."

More than 800 participants from 40 countries, representing most of the world's seabird scientists, will be reviewing the impact of oil spills on marine birds; how pollution, fishing practices and climate change are affecting seabirds; the need for marine protected areas; how to reduce the impact of invasive species on island seabird breeding colonies; and more.

Black-browed Albatross, Falkland Islands (Photo: Tim Mason)

The conference was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales, who delivered a pre-recorded welcoming address. "That they [seabirds] face such challenges to their continued survival is, frankly, terrifying," he said. "As some of you may know, the plight of seabirds has long been close to my heart. They are, without doubt, some of the world's most charismatic and iconic species."

Delegates will hear that over a quarter of the world's 346 species of seabird — and over three-quarters of albatross species — are presently under threat of global extinction.

BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme works around the globe to address the growing threats faced by seabirds, and is a co-sponsor of the conference. "BirdLife International is at the heart of saving seabirds globally", said Dr Ben Sullivan, BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme Coordinator. He added: "The world is in real danger of losing many species of seabird, and we are determined this catastrophe isn't going to happen on our watch."

"Nowhere is immune from the crisis. Sixteen of the 97 species of seabird facing extinction nest on the UK's Overseas Territories and four — including the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater — occur regularly in Europe. This is a global crisis demanding global action."

Balearic Shearwater, at sea, Cornwall (Photo: Phil Wallace)

"It is of enormous importance to disseminate more widely the knowledge that there are very simple techniques which could make the most profound difference to seabirds," the Prince of Wales said. In his opening address, he highlighted the work of BirdLife's Albatross Task Force, which works alongside fishermen to reduce the toll on seabirds killed by fishing gear. For example, in South Africa, for every 100 seabirds previously being killed in fisheries, 85 are now being saved just four years later thanks to BirdLife's hands-on work with the fleets.

Juvenile Black-browed Albatross caught on a baited longline hook, off the coast of Brazil. The bird was released by Albatross Task Force instructor Fabiano Peppes. (Photo: Fabiano Peppes (rspb-images.com))

Delegates at the conference will hear how BirdLife has used its practical experience of working with fishermen to develop factsheets detailing simple and inexpensive mitigation measures to reduce accidental seabird deaths dramatically.

"It is of enormous importance to disseminate more widely the knowledge that there are very simple techniques which could make the most profound difference to seabirds", concluded The Prince.

These factsheets can be downloaded from BirdLife's website.