Albatrosses and

longline fisheries

University of
Mar del Plata A lecture compiled by
Graham Robertson
Australian Antarctic Division

in collaboration with:
Department of Conservation

Janice Molloy, Department of Conservation, New Zealand
Te Papa Atawhai

Sally Poncet, Falkland Islands/Malvinas
John Croxall, British Antarctic Survey
Marco Favero, University of Mar del Plata, Argentina
Australian Royal  Euan Dunn, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK
Carles Carboneras, SEO/BirdLife, Spain
Antarctic Society for the
Division Protection of
Birds
  Surface longlining for tunas and swordfish
radio, buoys,
 light

buoy line

longline 50 ­ 300 m
50 ­ 300 m

baited hooks

3,200 hooks suspended over 130 km
   
 Bottom longlining for Patagonian toothfish

radio, buoys, light

Each day vessels set and haul 10,000­20,000 baited hooks

2000 m

mother line
< 70 m >
 >

branch < 76 m >
 m

  <18 m
lines hook
00

line
 6
< 

 >  

  baited hooks 20
 
kg weight
3 kg weights
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 Grey-headed albatrosses fly vast distances when searching for food

120°W 100°W 80°W 60°W

South
America 45°S

S o u t h   P a c i f i c   50°S
O c e a n
55°S
Diego Ramirez

60°S

Flight statistics 65°S
Range: 2,500­13,000 km
Distance from colony: up to 3,000 km
Distance/day: 400­1,500 km
Time away: 14­24 days
    Antarctica 70°S
Antarctica
Antarctica
 South Georgia grey­headed albatross 
migration flights

South Georgia
Flight statistics

Total travel duration: 
17 months, 2 
circumpolar migrations of 
~ 4 months 

Total distance: 
22,000 km

Average flight speed: 
33 km per hour

Winter 1999
  Summer 2000  
Winter 2000 Data courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey
 Southern Ocean seabirds migrate to South American waters
Key to status

near threatened
vulnerable
Wav endangered
e
Galapagos Islands alba d 
tross critically endangered

foraging area of seabirds
l
White­chinned petre

Tristan albatross
Buller’s albatross  from Gough Island
from New Zealand

Chatham albatross Spectacled petrel
from Tristan da Cunha
Salvin’s albatross Black­
browe
d alba
Northern Royal albatross tross
Southern Royal albatross Wand
ering 
albatr
Antipodean albatross oss
Falkland/Malvina
s Grey­headed albatross South Georgia
Southern Giant petrel
nt petrel
Diego Ramirez  Southern Gia
  & Ildefonso 
 
Islands
   
   
   
   
   
 Albatross at South Georgia are decreasing
Number of pairs  at an alarming rate
2000 Wandering albatrosses
1800
1600 1% per year
1400
1200
1000
1960s 1980 1990 2000
Number of pairs

500 Grey­headed albatrosses
400
2% per year
300

200

100
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Number of pairs

300 Black­browed albatross
200 4% per year
100

  0  
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
 1985: 
1125 nests

2000: 
500 nests

   
 Mitigation measures
• Setting longlines at night
• Flying streamer lines to scare seabirds off
   baited hooks
• Adding weight to gear

• Setting longlines underwater

• Retaining offal onboard or expelling it 
  discretely
   
   
 Closing the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery when albatrosses
breed has drastically reduced mortality
Number of seabirds killed

4,000 3,255
3,000 2,300

2,000

1,000 640
210 21 30
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Length of
fishing season Mar ­ Sep Mar ­ Sep Apr ­ Sep May ­ Sep May ­ Sep May ­ Sep
 Illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean 
kills a lot of seabirds

125,000 lower estimate
107,000 upper estimate
101,000
100,000
Estimated number
 of seabirds killed 75,000 68,000
59,000
54,000
50,000
35,000
27,000 29,000
25,000

0
1997 1998 1999 2000
Results of funds raised by IAATO 2001/2002
­ USD 5,500 raised ­

• Funds awarded to New Zealand Ling Longline Ltd 
   to test effectiveness of longlines with integrated weight (IW). 
  These longlines are heavier and sink faster than normal lines,
   reducing the time available for seabirds to snatch baited hooks.

• In a trial in November 2002 involving 340,000 hooks set, 
  normal longlines caught 82 seabirds whereas IW longlines 
  caught only 1 seabird. Birds caught were white­chinned petrels 
  and sooty shearwaters. No albatrosses were caught. This is a 
  most encouraging result. 

   
 In 2003 there were 11 applications for funds donated by 
IAATO passengers
USD 20,000 raised

work with the fishing industry to 
implement mitigation measures assess seabird bycatch rates

2
4

3 2

test new mitigation
methods
investigate
 seabird foraging ecology 
Winners of IAATO­derived funds in 2002/2003

Of the 11 applications received, funds were 
awarded to:­

1) Jeffrey Mangel and Joanna Shigueto (Peru)
2) Deon Nel (South Africa)
3) Patricia Gandini (Argentina)
4) Ben Sullivan (Falkland Islands)

   
 ALBATROSSES NEED HELP!!!
particularly to support
Every year, tens of initiatives in developing
thousands of albatrosses countries.
and petrels get killed in
the world’s longline If you would like to do
fisheries when they your part in helping to
unwittingly seize baited save these remarkable
hooks intended for birds please visit
catching fish. This www.kayakingtosavealbatross.co
mortality has caused large
and make a donation
decreases in these seabird
populations, is ongoing towards the South
and is threatening the Georgia kayak
existence of many species. expedition. Or go to
any Seabird
Efforts to make longline Conservation site listed
fisheries safe for seabirds on this website and
are being hampered by the
make a donation there.
lack of funds,

Thank you for your support!!

   
.