[Birdbycatch] [SEABIRD] [iso-8859-1] South Africa joins global albatross conservation treaty - [iso-8859-1] one more country needed (fwd)

[Elizabeth Ann Mitchell]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 15:49:23 +0200
From: Deon Nel <dnel@savethealbatross.org.za>
To: Seabird Listserver <seabird@groa.uct.ac.za>
Cc: John Cooper <jcooper@botzoo.uct.ac.za>
Subject: [SEABIRD] South Africa joins global albatross
    conservation treaty - one more country needed

South Africa joins global albatross conservation treaty - one more country
needed

 
Cape Town, South Africa, 7 May 2003 -- BirdLife International today
welcomed news that South Africa has become the fourth country to ratify
the global Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
(ACAP). Only one more country needs to ratify the Treaty for it to enter
into force. [1]

 
"BirdLife welcomes this as a positive step forward in moves to curb the
global threat posed to albatrosses and petrels by longline fishing.  Now
only one more country needs to ratify before the Treaty can enter into
force", said BirdLife's Save the Albatross Campaign Co-ordinator,
Leon-David Viljoen.

 
"With the United Kingdom very close to ratifying, ACAP has made great
strides since it's adoption just over two years ago", said Mr Viljoen.
"The strength of the Treaty is that it is legally binding on signatory
states requiring them to take specific measures to reduce seabird by-catch
from longlining and improve the conservation status of albatrosses and
petrels".

 
Despite progress, the challenge remains to rally further international
support for ACAP and for countries to go beyond signing the Agreement and
actually ratify it.  So far ten countries have signed ACAP -- the United
Kingdom, Australia, Ecuador, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, France,
Brazil, Chile and Peru. Of these, only Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador and
now South Africa have ratified yet.

 
"Global action is needed to reduce the threat of extinction for the 28
species of albatross and petrel covered in the Agreement. All these
species are killed as bycatch in longline fishing operations. They attempt
to snatch baited hooks as they are being deployed, are dragged beneath the
surface, and drowned. Most globally threatened species of albatross and
petrel live in the Southern Ocean, including the majestic Wandering
Albatross", said Dr Deon Nel, Scientific Co-ordinator of BirdLife's Save
the Albatross Campaign.
 

"Simple effective by-catch mitigation measures such as bird-scaring
streamers and line setting at night exist but must be much more widely
adopted if these magnificent birds are to be saved from extinction", said
Dr Nel.
 

"For the Treaty to be most effective, it is important for all countries
with breeding or foraging areas within their waters, or longline fishing
fleets operating within the ranges of the affected species, to both sign
and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible", said Dr Nel. "For example,
BirdLife considers Argentina, China, Japan, Spain, France and South Korea
to be priority countries".
 

The Agreement, which includes an Action Plan, describes a number of
conservation measures to be implemented by signatory states. Apart from
reducing seabird by-catch from longline fishing, these include research
and monitoring, eradication at breeding sites of introduced species such
as rats and feral cats, reduction of disturbance and habitat loss, and
reduction of marine pollution.
 

It is significant the South African Government used the parliamentary
process to acknowledge its need to adhere to the Agreement. This in itself
is an encouraging sign for marine conservation.
 

It is also fitting that South Africa has joined ACAP because it hosted a
meeting in 2001 at which the text of the Agreement was finalised. South
Africa is particularly important for the conservation of Albatrosses. It
is a range state to 15 of the 28 species covered under ACAP. South
Africa's Prince Edward Islands is an important breeding site for nine of
these species, most of which have a threatened conservation status. The
Prince Edward Islands are particularly important to the Wandering
Albatross, hosting more than 40% of the world's population of this
species. The Wandering Albatross is the largest of all Albatrosses, with a
wingspan of up to 3.5 meters. It is expected that South Africa joining
ACAP will boost conservation related research on the Prince Edward
Islands, allowing for the best management of these important populations
of threatened species.

 

 

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact the
BirdLife International Seabird Conservation Programme in Cape Town, South
Africa, on +27 (0)21 886 9222. Related photographs are posted on the web
at: www.birdlife.net/action/campaigns/save_the_albatross/ and
www.savethealbatross.org.za

 

Notes for Editors

 

1. BirdLife International is a global alliance of national conservation
non-governmental organisations working in more than 100 countries in five
continents who, together, are the leading authority on the status of the
world's birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird
life.

 

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Deon Nel
BirdLife International Seabird Conservation Programme
PO Box 1586, Stellenbosch, 7599
South Africa

Tel:       +27 (0)21 886 9222
Fax:      +27 (0)21 886 9223
Mobile:  +27 (0)72 485 4570

Websites: www.savethealbatross.org.za and www.birdlife.net
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