President Bush signs up to protect albatrosses
22/10/2008 00:10:03
Black browed albatross. Copyright Grahame Madge/RSPB images.com
George W. gets something right at last
October 2008.At the very tail end of his presidency, George W. Bush has recognised the international importance the United States has for protecting globally-threatened seabirds, including albatrosses.
Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
The President has brought The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) to the US Senate for approval. "I believe the Agreement to be fully in the U.S. interest", wrote President Bush.
ACAP is an international treaty protecting seabirds. "Its provisions advance the U.S. goals of protecting albatrosses and petrels. I recommend that the Senate give early and favourable consideration to the Agreement and give its advice and consent to accession", stated President Bush.
"Albatrosses and petrels are facing growing threats, but if we move quickly on the provisions contained in this treaty, they stand a chance for survival," said Betsy Loyless, Audubon's (BirdLife in America) Senior Vice President for Policy.
12 other countries already signed up
The USA will join twelve countries currently parties of the treaty: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Ecuador, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Republic of South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.
It is hoped the U.S. Senate will now ratify the treaty and produce laws implementing the agreement. "We strongly urge the Senate to approve the treaty as quickly as possible", commented John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme. "U.S. participation in ACAP offers an important opportunity to engage other countries in the protection of seabirds when they range outside of U.S. waters".
18 species of albatross are endangered
Eighteen of the world's 22 species of albatross are facing extinction, and ten of these are considered to Endangered or Critically Endangered - the highest levels of threat under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Birds.
The most important threats to these species are accidental deaths in longline and trawl fisheries, and loss of eggs and chicks to introduced predators on breeding islands. Solving these problems requires coordinated efforts by governments, scientists, fishermen, and conservation organisations.
International action required
"Migratory species such as seabirds cannot be protected by the actions of one country alone", added Ben Sullivan BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme Coordinator. "International coordination, such as that offered by ACAP, is the only way to ensure that our future generations will also be able to enjoy these birds."
The Albatross Task Force (ATF), which is funded by the RSPB, is a major grass-roots contribution by BirdLife International to meeting ACAP's goals. The ATF is the world's first international team of mitigation instructors working with fishermen on land and on deck, along with government agencies, to reduce seabird bycatch. ATF instructors routinely show that the adoption of conservation measures is both operationally and economically effective.
