[Birdbycatch] Fwd: Torishima Island volcano erupts for 1st time in 63 yrs

Wed, 14 Aug 2002 01:13:39 -0700

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Hi all,

A volcano on Torishima, Japan erupted Monday (see below). Torishima is one 
of two known islands where the endangered short-tailed albatross 
breed.  There are less than 300 breeding pairs that breed on Torishima. 
There has been a steady increase in breeding pairs over the last decade 
due, in part, to tireless habitat restoration efforts on this island.  This 
species also regularly interacts with Alaska longline vessels and there are 
documented takes.  It is yet unclear how much short-tailed albatrosses 
interact with other fisheries in the Pacific (except Hawaii, which has 0 
recorded take/ 20% observer coverage over the last few years).

Does anyone know how this eruption might effect the Alaska fishery?  As I 
recall, the last biological opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service determined that the Alaska longline fishery would not jeopardize 
the population of the short-tailed albatross.  However, I believe it also 
said that if a volcanic eruption or major mudslide occurred, this would 
change the stability of their habitat and NMFS and USFWS would have to 
reconsult(?).  The fishery most likely to impact this species is just 
getting ready to begin fishing in Alaska.  Since monitoring efforts on the 
island most likely will be hampered during the breeding season (Nov-May), 
will there be additional precautions to the current seabird bycatch 
reduction measures in Alaska, since the success of these measures have not 
yet been proven?

Thanks for any insights.

Liz Mitchell

Link with photos of Torishima eruption:
http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/torisima.html

>Monday August 12, 11:54 PM
>
>Volcano Erupts on Japanese Island
>
>Photo: AP
>Click to enlarge
>
>TOKYO (AP) _ A volcano erupted on a deserted Japanese island in the
>Pacific Ocean Monday, spewing smoke and ash into the air for the first
>time in 63 years, officials said.
>
>The volcano on Tori Island, part of a chain of small islands 360 miles
>south of Tokyo, last erupted Aug. 18, 1939, Meteorological Agency
>spokesman Yohei Hasegawa said.
>
>An agency official confirmed the eruption during a flight over the island
>in a Japan Coast Guard aircraft, after a ship reported smoke rising from
>the mountain, he said.
>
>The island, home to an endangered albatross species, has not been
>inhabited since the Meteorological Agency withdrew its scientists from an
>observatory there in 1965 after a major earthquake, Tokyo city official
>Yuichiro Shimozawa said.
>
>About 30 residents lived on the island until they were evacuated just
>after the 1939 eruption, he said.
>
>In 1902, the volcano erupted, killing all 125 residents on the island.
>
>===============
>
>
>Koji Ono
>$B!!(BSecretary-general, Japan Seabird Group
>$B!!(BCo-Chair, Japanese Seabird Conservation Committee
>$B!!(B (Pacific Seabird Group)
>  E-Mail:  ono@seabird.go.jp
>  Office:  Hokkaido Seabird Center
>           Kita 6-1, Haboro, Tomamae, 078-4116  Japan
>           Phone  +81 1646-9-2080     Fax    +81 1646-9-2090
>URL   (Hokkaido Seabird Center)  http://www.seabird.go.jp

Elizabeth Mitchell
P.O. Box 933
Eugene, Oregon 97440
U.S.A.
Tel: 541/344-5503
E-mail: emitch@efn.org

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<html>
Hi all, 
 
A volcano on Torishima, Japan erupted Monday (see below). Torishima is
one of two known islands where the endangered short-tailed albatross
breed.&nbsp; There are less than 300 breeding pairs that breed on
Torishima. There has been a steady increase in breeding pairs over the
last decade due, in part, to tireless habitat restoration efforts on this
island.&nbsp; This species also regularly interacts with Alaska longline
vessels and there are documented takes.&nbsp; It is yet unclear how much
short-tailed albatrosses interact with other fisheries in the Pacific
(except Hawaii, which has 0 recorded take/ 20% observer coverage over the
last few years).&nbsp; 
 
Does anyone know how this eruption might effect the Alaska fishery?&nbsp;
As I recall, the last biological opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service determined that the Alaska longline fishery would not
jeopardize the population of the short-tailed albatross.&nbsp; However, I
believe it also said that if a volcanic eruption or major mudslide
occurred, this would change the stability of their habitat and NMFS and
USFWS would have to reconsult(?).&nbsp; The fishery most likely to impact
this species is just getting ready to begin fishing in Alaska.&nbsp;
Since monitoring efforts on the island most likely will be hampered
during the breeding season (Nov-May), will there be additional
precautions to the current seabird bycatch reduction measures in Alaska,
since the success of these measures have not yet been proven? 
 
Thanks for any insights. 
 
Liz Mitchell 
&nbsp; 
Link with photos of Torishima eruption: 
<a href="http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/torisima.html" eudora="autourl">http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/torisima.</a><a href="http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/torisima.html" eudora="autourl">html 
 
 
 
</a><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Monday August 12,
11:54 PM 
 
Volcano Erupts on Japanese Island 
 
Photo: AP 
Click to enlarge 
 
TOKYO (AP) _ A volcano erupted on a deserted Japanese island in the 
Pacific Ocean Monday, spewing smoke and ash into the air for the
first 
time in 63 years, officials said. 
 
The volcano on Tori Island, part of a chain of small islands 360
miles 
south of Tokyo, last erupted Aug. 18, 1939, Meteorological Agency 
spokesman Yohei Hasegawa said. 
 
An agency official confirmed the eruption during a flight over the
island 
in a Japan Coast Guard aircraft, after a ship reported smoke rising
from 
the mountain, he said. 
 
The island, home to an endangered albatross species, has not been 
inhabited since the Meteorological Agency withdrew its scientists from
an 
observatory there in 1965 after a major earthquake, Tokyo city
official 
Yuichiro Shimozawa said. 
 
About 30 residents lived on the island until they were evacuated
just 
after the 1939 eruption, he said. 
 
In 1902, the volcano erupted, killing all 125 residents on the
island. 
 
=============== 
 
 
Koji Ono 
$B!!(BSecretary-general, Japan Seabird Group 
$B!!(BCo-Chair, Japanese Seabird Conservation Committee 
$B!!(B (Pacific Seabird Group) 
&nbsp;E-Mail:&nbsp; ono@seabird.go.jp 
&nbsp;Office:&nbsp; Hokkaido Seabird Center 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kita 6-1, Haboro,
Tomamae, 078-4116&nbsp; Japan 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Phone&nbsp; +81
1646-9-2080&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fax&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; +81
1646-9-2090 
URL&nbsp;&nbsp; (Hokkaido Seabird Center)&nbsp;
<a href="http://www.seabird.go.jp/" eudora="autourl">http://www.seabird.go.jp</a></blockquote>
<x-sigsep></x-sigsep>
Elizabeth Mitchell 
P.O. Box 933 
Eugene, Oregon 97440 
U.S.A. 
Tel: 541/344-5503 
E-mail: emitch@efn.org 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;</html>

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