# Presentation: 285579

## American Bird Conservancy Seabird Program

**American Bird Conservancy Seabird Program**

- Jennifer M. Arnold, Ph.D.
- Program Director
- jarnold@abcbirds.org

## Seabirds

## ABC’s Seabird Program focuses on eliminating the greatest threats to seabird populations

Via work with:
government, NGOs, and researchers
in
 conservation, education, and advocacy.

- Via work with:
- government, NGOs, and researchers
- in
-  conservation, education, and advocacy.

## Major issues 

- #1   Fisheries related mortality
- #2   Invasive species
- #3   Marine debris
- #4   Contaminants

**Photo by F. and K. Starr**

**Photo by G. Robertson**

**Photo by B. Keitt**

**#1**

**#2**

**#2**

**#3**

## Selected Program Goals

- Goal #1: 	Protecting seabirds from bycatch-related 		mortality
- Goal #2: 	Stopping lead poisoning of Laysan 			Albatross at Midway Atoll NWR
- Goal #3: 	Eradication or control of damaging invasive 		plant and animal species
- Goal #4:  	Raising awareness and developing/ 			implementing conservation and research 		priorities

## Goal #1: Protecting seabirds from bycatch related mortality 

- Mortality in longline and other fisheries may be the greatest threat facing albatrosses and other seabirds

**Photo by F. Olmos**

**Photo by P. Ryan**

**Photo by F. Olmos**

## FAO and National Plans of Action

- 1999
- United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization requested that all longline nations assess their fisheries and, if a seabird bycatch problem existed, develop a National Plan of Action to reduce seabird bycatch (NPOA)

**Notes:**
So, just to get everyone up to speed, let me give you a very brief overview of progress that has been made in reducing seabird bycatch and what still needs to be done

In 1999 in recognition that this issue was important and something needed to be done to protect albatrosses and other seabirds...

Long-line nations:  This includes...12 countries in the western hemisphere and it is close to 30 world wide

Now this was the first really global attempt to set policy for reducing seabird bycatch, but some action had been taken previously.....CCAMLR (Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources) which basically manages fisheries in the southern ocean had regulations in place as early as 1992...?

The United States has implemented a National Plan of Action (NPOA) to reduce seabird bycatch, as well as fishery specific regulations for the use of mitigation gear in Alaska and Hawaii. This has resulted in a large reduction in annual bird bycatch. Even so, many birds are still killed in fisheries and, in some fisheries, complete assessments of bycatch levels are absent. 
In the Western Hemisphere, Brazil, Chile, and the UK (Falkland Islands only), are the only other countries to have developed NPOAs for reducing seabird bycatch. These plans are in the early stages of implementation. Other countries in the process of developing plans or assessing their fisheries are Uruguay, Canada, Peru, and Argentina. Preliminary assessments indicate substantial amounts of seabird bycatch. Therefore, the development and implementation of mitigation strategies is a priority.

## Status of National Plans of Action in the Western Hemisphere

**United States – Complete (2001)**
**Chile – Complete (2003)**
**Brazil – Complete (2006)**
**Canada – In Progress (Target date 2007)**
**Argentina – In Progress (Target date (draft) 2007)**
**Uruguay – In Progress (Target date (draft) 2007)**

## Status of National Plans of Action in the Western Hemisphere

**Peru – assessment in progress**
**Mexico – assessment to begin**
**Ecuador – assessment to begin**
**Venezuela - ??**
**Columbia - ??**
**Panama- ??**

- Photo by G. Wallace

## Increased in Activity to Address Seabird Bycatch

- Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels- ACAP (2004)
- International Fisher’s Forum (since 2000)
- Regional Fisher’s Forums (South America  2006)
- Regional Workshops and educational programs
- Skipper Exchanges

## Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

## Magnuson-Stevens ActUS Fisheries Legislation Reauthorization

**Mandatory regionally-based bycatch reduction programs (within 1 year)**
**Incentive programs to reduce total bycatch and seabird interactions **
**Coordination on projects to improve information and technology (national and international)**
**Annual reporting to Senate and House Committees regarding progress and activities**

## Other ABC Activities Towards Reducing Seabird Bycatch

**Lobbying regional fisheries management councils and other governance bodies in the US and abroad.**
**Supporting multi-stake holder workshops to develop solutions to seabird bycatch**
**Assisting countries in developing bycatch assessment programs and developing and implementing solutions to bycatch problems**

## Technical Documents

## Goal # 2:  Stopping poisoning of Laysan Albatross at 	Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

**Goal # 2:  Stopping poisoning of Laysan Albatross at ****	****Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge**

- Photo by M. Finkelstein

- Photo by M. Finkelstein

## Solution

**Complete removal of lead-based paint from all buildings **
- 	Price tag: 5.6 to 6 Million USD
**2006 Budget $100,000 (USD)**
- Current efforts are underway to use this $100,000 to remove paint from 3-5 priority buildings

## Current and Future Work

**Advocacy:  **
- Working to obtain appropriations for clean up in the 2008 Budget
- Raising awareness (media, “Albatross Action” campaign, congressional visits)
**Research (M. Finkelstein et al.):**
- Population level impacts
- Improving estimates of lead-related mortality

- Photo by M. Finkelstein

## Areas where the Waterbird Council might be of assistance

- Obtaining the necessary funding and helping to build partnerships to begin/enable  assessments of fisheries in Mexico and Ecuador.
- Encouraging the United States to sign the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)
- Supporting our efforts to remove lead-based paint from buildings on Midway.

- Photo by G. Wallace