Incidental mortality of southern Royal albatrosses (Diomedea epomophora) associated to freshies in the South-west Atlantic Ocean

SECO PON JP, A GÓMEZ LAICH, S COPELLO, G GARCÍA & M FAVERO

Cape Town

Congreso; IV International Albatross and Petrels Conference; 2008

UCT

The Southern Royal Albatross (SRA) Diomedea epomophora is endemic to New Zealand and breeds biennially mainly at Campbell Island and in the Auckland Islands groups (c. 8000 and 120 pairs, respectively). Satellite-tracking studies show that foraging activities of this species during the breeding cycle are restricted to continental shelf and, particularly over the shelf-break close to their breeding grounds. However, the foraging range of juveniles and adults during the time off breeding is extended across the southern hemisphere. The SRA is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN and could be importantly using waters off South America as feeding grounds where the information on potential incidental bird capture and fishing practices is urgently needed. This study reports the bycatch of SRA in commercial domestic trawlers (“freshies”) operating along the Atlantic Patagonian Shelf. A total of 883 onboard censuses was made during two years (2005-2007) and the abundances and incidental captures in nets and warp cables were recorded. The SRA was present in the 17% of the censuses and most of the birds were adults (91%). The highest occurrence for the species happened in July (41%). There were three  SRA killed by collisions with warp cables (two juvenile females and one adult male) during winter. Our results are in line with the only record of SRA interacting with freezer trawlers in waters off Malvinas/Falklands Islands. Interactions between SRA and this fleet are increasing at Argentinean national waters as well as the overlap between this species and fishing areas of commercial longliners. More than 130 “freshies” operate in waters of the Patagonian Shelf year-round posing a threat to this and to other procellariiform threatened species attending these vessels. Diomedea epomophora is endemic to New Zealand and breeds biennially mainly at Campbell Island and in the Auckland Islands groups (c. 8000 and 120 pairs, respectively). Satellite-tracking studies show that foraging activities of this species during the breeding cycle are restricted to continental shelf and, particularly over the shelf-break close to their breeding grounds. However, the foraging range of juveniles and adults during the time off breeding is extended across the southern hemisphere. The SRA is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN and could be importantly using waters off South America as feeding grounds where the information on potential incidental bird capture and fishing practices is urgently needed. This study reports the bycatch of SRA in commercial domestic trawlers (“freshies”) operating along the Atlantic Patagonian Shelf. A total of 883 onboard censuses was made during two years (2005-2007) and the abundances and incidental captures in nets and warp cables were recorded. The SRA was present in the 17% of the censuses and most of the birds were adults (91%). The highest occurrence for the species happened in July (41%). There were three  SRA killed by collisions with warp cables (two juvenile females and one adult male) during winter. Our results are in line with the only record of SRA interacting with freezer trawlers in waters off Malvinas/Falklands Islands. Interactions between SRA and this fleet are increasing at Argentinean national waters as well as the overlap between this species and fishing areas of commercial longliners. More than 130 “freshies” operate in waters of the Patagonian Shelf year-round posing a threat to this and to other procellariiform threatened species attending these vessels.