The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels – progress, success and the future

TASKER M & M FAVERO (ACAP)

Cape Town

Congreso; IV International Albatross and Petrels Conference; 2008

UCT

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) came into force in 2004 and 11 countries have now ratified the Agreement with two others working very actively with these Parties. The Agreement aims to conserve and improve conditions for the 27 species of albatrosses and petrels to which it currently applies. As with all conservation, a combination of science, policy and funding is needed to make progress. The Agreement provides the context particularly for setting priorities for international  action and for encouraging individual nations in taking domestic measures. All conservation needs to base firmly on a good knowledge base. ACAP has addressed  this in a number of ways. A working group has been tasked with reviewing the sometimes controversial taxonomy of the ACAP species. This review has drawn on a wide range of scientific publications. Another working group has taken on the task of compiling information on all breeding sites of ACAP species and assessing threats to those colonies. Guidance on removal or reduction of those threats has started to be drawn up. ACAP is also pulling together all information on each of the ACAP species on to a standard data portal and is using that information to describe trends and draw together an  assessment for each species. In one case, ACAP has drawn up an individual species action plan. The greatest overall threat to albatrosses and petrels comes from interactions with fishing gear. Dealing with this threat illustrates well the need for expertise in science, technology and policy. Science is required to study and to advise on reliable ways of recording interactions. Technological development is needed to develop, test and implement reliable mitigation devices. Policy specialists are needed to influence international  fisheries management organisations to persuade them to adopt and apply effective mitigation practices. ACAP has made great progress during its first years of existence, but still has a long way  to go to achieve its objectives. There are many data and information gaps that need to be filled. The more help that the Agreement can get, the better its success will be and the More secure the future will be for albatrosses and petrels.