Gough Island

As part of raising awareness of the inaugural World Albatross Day on 19 June this year ACAP  challenged field teams working with albatrosses at breeding localities or going to sea as observers on fishing vessels to make a suitably-worded banner (or poster) advertising ‘WAD2020’.  Photographs of the banners have then been used to draw attention to the conservation crisis facing the world’s 22 albatross species.

By the end of May  banner photos had come from 23 islands with breeding albatrosses, two fishing vessels and one institute.  As photographs of WAD2020 banners were submitted to ACAP they have been featured along with their stories in ACAP Latest News (click here).

Requests to join the ‘banner challenge’ on breeding islands have emphasized that local regulations in respect to minimum approach distances to albatrosses and their nests should be adhered to and that birds (and their chicks) should not show signs of disturbance (or be held or restrained) when the photos were taken.

A total of 53 photographs, one for each “photo opportunity”, has now been loaded to an album on ACAP’s Facebook Page.  Readers are invited to visit the album and click ‘like’ or ‘love’ on the ones they particularly think help the most to spread the message of albatross conservation.  Click on just one or as many as you like.  At the end of June the likes and loves will be totalled up and the photograph with the greatest number of clicks will be declared the challenge winner. The person who submitted the winning photograph will then receive a book on South Africa’s Sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands co-authored and signed by ACAP’s Information Officer, as well as a printed WAD2020 poster suitable for framing. Read more here.

A selection of banner challenge photos follows in individual posts for each country or territory involved.  Click below the photograph captions to read about each one.

With thanks to all who have made, photographed and submitted WAD2020 banners to ACAP Latest News.

Updated 20 June 2020