The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is working with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers, environmental managers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research by way of annual funding opportunities.

SCAR, COMNAP and IAATO have launched fellowships for early-career researchers.  In 2020, COMNAP and IAATO will each offer one fellowship with funding of up to USD 15 000 each, and SCAR will also offer three to four fellowships of up to USD 15 000 each.  The fellowships enable early-career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons.

The SCAR, COMNAP and IAATO schemes are launched in conjunction with the CCAMLR Scientific Scholarship Scheme.  The CCAMLR Scholarship provides funding of up to AUD 30 000 to assist early-career scientists to participate in the work of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee and its working groups over a period of two years.  The objective of the scheme is to build capacity within the CCAMLR scientific community to help generate and sustain the scientific expertise needed to support the work of CCAMLR in the long term.

All schemes are being jointly promoted by the four organisations.

The deadline for COMNAP and IAATO fellowship applications is 31 May 2020.

The deadline for SCAR fellowship applications is 26 August 2020.

The deadline for CCAMLR scholarship applications is 1 October 2020.

For more information, please visit the websites of SCAR, COMNAP, IAATO and CCAMLR.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 March 2020

Bird-scaring line design for Uruguayan trawlers, from Resolution No. 040/2020

Marcel Calvar of the Uruguayan National Directorate of the Environment (Dirección Nacional de Medio Ambiente, Ministerio de Vivienda, Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente) - and ACAP National Contact Point - has recently informed ACAP of a new resolution aimed at reducing the mortality of seabirds in trawl fisheries in his country.  Resolution No. 040/2020 of the National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca) of 27 February 2020 requires “Fishing vessels belonging to “Category A” (operating outside the Río de la Plata in the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fisheries Zone, aimed at catching hake Merluccius sp. and its accompanying fauna by bottom trawls with gates) must deploy two bird-scaring lines either side of the net cables or warps to prevent seabirds contacting the fishing gear.”  Marcel adds that the measure has been taken in view of the poor global conservation status of several species of seabirds, including albatrosses and other seabirds belonging to the order Procellariiformes.

A Uruguayan bird-scaring line attempts to keep Black-browed Albatrosses away from the trawl cables

Technical specifications for the bird-scaring lines, along with recommendations on their use and construction, are included in an Annex to the Resolution.  The lines must be deployed from the trawler’s stern with a minimum length of 30 m and at least two metres either side of the trawl cables.  The attached streamers must be long enough to reach the sea surface under calm conditions, be constructed of irrigation hose and spaced at intervals of two to three metres.  A buoy is to be attached to the end of the bird-scaring line to keep tension when in use.

The Resolution also requires trawlers to carry spare lines in good condition, with enough material on board for their maintenance.  Further, fishing vessels may not use network sonar cables – a known source of seabird mortality.  The Resolution will take effect from 01 June 2020.

With thanks to Marcel Calvar.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 March 2020

A Northern Royal Albatross and its chick at Taiaroa Head, painting by Shary Page Weckwerth

An Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi chick has been killed by what most likely a non-native Stoat Mustela erminea within the albatross colony on Taiaroa Head, South Island, New Zealand  This the first such reported fatality since 1997 (click here).

Royal Albatross Centre manager Hoani Langsbury said the culprit would have climbed the fence, at the breeding colony on the Otago Peninsula.  “While the death was upsetting his team worked hard year round to keep predators out.  The Royal Albatross Centre relies heavily on traps and other predator management techniques to keep mustelid creatures like Stoats away from the birds, killing about 15 Stoats a year".

Taiaroa Head does not have a predator-exclusion fence that could keep out mustelids, as well as rodents and feral cats, as exist at some other albatross colonies.

There are 24 chicks at the colony at present, out of 36 eggs laid in the current 2019/20 breeding season.

Watch the live-streaming ‘Royal Cam’ at Taiaroa Head here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 March 2020

‘PLIGHT of the Albatross’ by Mary Ingrum, final composition, mixed media, including trash

 For the first two months of the year ACAP has collaborated with ABUN (Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature) on its 30th Project in support of World Albatross Day that seeks to increase awareness of the conservation crisis that continues to be faced by the world’s 22 species of albatrosses.  The collaboration has been more successful than was ever expected with many artists creating exciting artwork for ACAP’s use.  One of the ABUN artists has created a compelling work out of “bits and pieces” that addresses the plight faced by albatrosses in an unnatural and polluted world.  ACAP Latest News reached out its creator, Mary Ingrum, to find out what motivates her artistically.  She has written back about herself.

“My name is Mary B. Ingrum and I am from Tennessee, USA.  My inner artist emerged around 2012 when my muse, my sister Ellyn, brought watercolours with her on a visit to Tennessee.  Now I’m hooked on watercolours, acrylics, collage, mixed media.  I love them all.  If you were to pin me down for a quote I would tell you “each of my pieces has my stink on it".  I believe that when you see my work you will know it's mine, because they are uniquely mine.

Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature adopted me in 2014.  I went to high school with Kitty Harvill, ABUN’s founder; we caught up on Facebook.  Now here we are creating together, with all our ABUN family for a cause, that of threatened species.

One of our most recent challenges and for our largest project so far was to paint the beautiful photographs of 22 species that came from ACAP.  I could only illustrate five of them, so I wanted each to have its own special touch.  I then added these five individual artworks to a single 16 x 20-inch canvas on which I had painted a backdrop of swirling shapes.  ‘PLIGHT of the Albatross’ was created with sequins, glitter, acrylics, Mod Podge craft glue, gift bag confetti, fabric scraps from a quilt I'm making, tulle, Halloween netting, cereal boxes, alcohol ink, YUPO paper and trash.

I am an artistic encourager, what I mean by this is that I like to believe that everyone has an artist inside them waiting to be tapped into, recognized and accepted.  Embracing my inner artist is what most makes my soul sing.”

With thanks to Mary Ingrum.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 March 2020

Here are the five individual art pieces along with the photographs that inspired them. Chatham Albatross and chick by Lorna Deppe; flying Northern Royal Albatross and sunset scene by Dimas Gianuca; Shy and Southern Royal Albatross on the sea by Laurie Smaglick Johnson - with thanks.