New Zealand plans research on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels for 2015/16 through fishery levies

The New Zealand Department of Conservation has released its draft Conservation Services Programme Annual Plan for 2015/16 that describes those services and projects aimed to address the impacts of commercial fisheries on marine protected species.  Direct impacts include seabirds being being caught, injured or killed in nets or on hooks (click here).

The annual plan lists a number of proposed  projects that relate to the conservation of albatrosses and petrels, including ACAP-listed species.  By title these are:

Identfication of seabirds captured in New Zealand fisheries

Black Petrel and Flesh-footed Shearwater foraging behaviour around fishing vessels

Black Petrel: Aotea/Great Barrier Island and Hauturu/Little Barrier Island population project

Flesh-footed Shearwater: various locations population project

Seabird population research: Auckland Islands 2015-16

Northern Buller's Albatross: review taxonomy

Protected Species Bycatch Newsletter

Seabird bycatch reduction (small longline vessel fisheries)

Small vessel seabird mitigation project

Buller's Albatross chicks, photograph by Jean-Claude Stahl

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 April 2015