ACAP Marco Favero

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels: International Efforts to Improve the Conservation Status of Threatened Species

On behalf of: Marco Favero1, Warren Papworth2,

1

Interrnational Seabird Bycatch Workshop Vigo Spain October 28th 2014

ACAP Advisory Committee 2 ACAP Secretariat

“The objective of the Agreement is to achieve and maintain a favourable conservation status for albatrosses and petrels” (Art. II.1).

Apply to albatrosses and petrels listed in Annex 1 (30 spp)

Meeting of the Parties: decision-making body of the Agreement Advisory Committee (AC): expert scientific and technical advice Taxonomy Working Group Population and Conservation Status Working Group Seabird Bycatch Working Group Chatham albatross © Tui De Roy

Executive Secretary: execute decisions, organise meetings, administer funds, promote and coordinate actions, etc.

AC (and WGs) meet twice every three years: review of work programme and development/ refinement of advice.

Parties meet every three years: review of the degree to which the Agreement’s Action Plan is implemented by the Parties (MoP4 conducted in early 2012).

A substantial amount of work is being done by ACAP Parties to implement the Agreement (adoption / implementation of NPOA-S, recovery plans, strategy documents, marine protected areas and feral pest eradication programmes). Š Juan Seco Pon

Significant contribution of Non-Party Range States and NGOs to the work of the Agreement Three official languages: English, French and Spanish

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10

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100.000

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A A A

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A B B B B A A A

Amsterdam albatross Black-footed albatross Short-tailed albatross Laysan albatross

*

Sooty albatross Wandering albatross Grey-headed albatross Light-mantled albatross Shy albatross Northern giant petrel Southern giant petrel

10.000

Waved albatross Northern royal albatross Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross Indian yellow-nosed albatross Black petrel Westland petrel Chatham albatross Southern royal albatross Spectacled petrel Campbell albatross Salvin's albatross White-chinned petrel Buller's albatross White-capped albatross Grey petrel

1.000

Tristan albatross Balearic Shearwater Black-browed albatross Antipodean albatross

Annual breeding pairs

Trends 2001 - 2010 Increasing ( ), decreasing ( ), unknown ( ? ) Single Country endemic ( )

Agreement’s Annex 1 30 species: 22 albatrosses + 8 petrels [4 CR , 6 EN , 12 VU , 6 NT , 2 LC ] ) (?)

1.000.000

* *

*B A A A

Action/ Process

Products

Review taxonomy ACAP spp

Advice other fora (e.g. CMS)

Evaluation of spp conservation status

Species assessments

Development of conservation guidelines

Biosecurity guidelines Erradication guidelines

Review / development of mitigation

Mitigation rev document Brief mitigation advice Mitigation factsheets

Development/ implementation of RFMO engagement strategy

Advice documents on seabird CM Advice documents on data collection and observer protocols

Collection/ storing/ organisation of data

ACAP database

Identification of conservation priorities

Land based Conservation priorities At sea Conservation priorities

Strategy on capacity building

ACAP secondments Funds AC work programme

Development of performance indicators

Breeding sites, status and trends Seabird bycatch

Action/ Process

Products

Review taxonomy ACAP spp

Advice other fora (e.g. CMS)

In early 2010 ACAP responded to the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) query on taxonomy of albatrosses and further adopted the recommended taxonomic approach.

Three species added to Annex 1: since 2004, three northern hemisphere albatrosses and the Balearic shearwater recently listed in Annex 1 after proposal tabled

by Spain.

Š SEO/BirdLife

Action/ Process

Products

Evaluation of spp conservation status

Species assessments

Process started in 2007 29 species assessments finalised by 2010 Assessments translated into the three ACAP languages by 2011 Assessments are updated as new data becomes available

• • • • • • • • • •

Conservation status Taxonomy Conservation plans Breeding biology Breeding sites Population trends Foraging ecology At-sea distribution Threats Information gaps

Available at http://www.acap.aq/acap-species

Action/ Process

Products

Review / development of mitigation

Mitigation rev document (EN, FR, SP) Brief mitigation advice (EN, FR, SP) Mitigation factsheets (EN, FR, SP, POR, JAP, MAN, KOR) Co-branded with BirdLife International

Large body of research has been undertaken in recent years on seabird bycatch mitigation. Effective mitigation measures have been identified and best practice advice developed for pelagic LL, demersal LL and trawl fisheries

Advice generated to be used at different fora (Governments, RFMOs, observer programmes, fishermen, etc) • Complexity of fisheries and Agencies (e.g. artisanal fisheries) • Progress in adoption of Conservation Measures and NPOA-S • Observer programmes and data availability/ quality issues Available at http://www.acap.aq/bycatch-mitigation

Waved Albatross © R. Medina-ATF

Action/ Process

Products

Development/ implementation of RFMO Advice documents on seabird CM engagement strategy Advice documents on data collection and observer protocols • ACAP’s strategy to engage with RFMOs has been developed to assist with the development and implementation of CM in high seas fisheries.

• Line weighting – Bird Scaring Line – Night setting package for pelagic LL fisheries • Key challenge is to ensure that the knowledge is applied and mitigation measures are implemented widely and effectively in fisheries where incidental mortality is occurring.

• Observer programmes and data availability (resource implications) • Electronic monitoring, a way forward?

Action/ Process

Products

Development of strategy on capacity building

ACAP secondments Funds AC work programme

• Parties (2006) identified Capacity Building as an issue of high priority for the Agreement.

• Objective: to improve the capacity of Parties and other relevant stakeholders in areas such as research, administration, training and monitoring.

• Significant resources spent by ACAP to increase capacities of Parties and Range States (e.g. secondment programme, grant scheme).

Salaverry © Pro-Delphinus

• Since 2008: 15 (out of 28) conservation projects funded by the AC comprised capacity building aspects in research, education, training and outreach (some 60% of AUD$ 461,000 granted during 2008-2012).

KEY CHALLENGES • Non-Party States holding breeding areas • Number of other fishing Range States need to be engaged (e.g. high seas fleets) • Full engagement/ participation by Parties High turnover rate at decision maker level

• Major data gaps in population status, by-catch, etc.

Collection of relevant data

• More traction in RFMOs, implementation and data gathering issues Slow progress/ temporal scale issues in some areas/ arenas

• Size and complexity of some fisheries (artisanal/ semi-industrial) • Limited resources (e.g. eradication programmes) •Widespread adoption/implementation of ACAP’ best practice mitigation advise’