Hawaiian Petrel chick: at risk to feral cats; photograph by Andre Raine

Scott Loss (Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA) and colleagues have published  a review of the global literature on impacts on wildlife by unowned (including feral) domestic cats Felis catus in the Journal of Animal Ecology.  “Nearly half of studies evaluated cat impacts in non-continental areas, reflecting human introductions of cats and establishment of feral populations on many oceanic islands worldwide.”  They find little or no positive effects of controversial TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programmes on wildlife; a finding relevant to the situation pertaining on some inhabited islands with burrowing seabird populations (such as in Hawaii).

The paper’s abstract follows:

“1. A vast global literature documents that free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) have substantial negative effects on wildlife, including through predation, fear, disease, and competition-related impacts that have contributed to numerous wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. However, no study has synthesized this literature on cat impacts on wildlife to evaluate its overarching biases and major gaps.
2. To direct future research and conservation related to cat impacts on wildlife, we conducted a global literature review that entailed evaluation and synthesis of patterns and gaps in the literature related to the geographic context, methods, and types of impacts studied.
3. Our systematic literature search compiled 2,245 publications. We extracted information from 332 of these meeting inclusion criteria designed to ensure the relevance of studies analyzed.
4. This synthesis of research on cat impacts on wildlife highlights a focus on oceanic  slands, Australia, Europe, and North America, and on rural areas, predation, impacts of unowned cats, and impacts at population and species levels. Key research advances needed to better understand and manage cat impacts include more studies in underrepresented, highly biodiverse regions (Africa, Asia, South America), on cat impacts other than predation, and on methods designed to reduce impacts on wildlife.
5. The identified areas of needed research into cat impacts on wildlife will be critical to further clarifying the role of cats in global wildlife declines and to implementing science driven policy and management that benefit conservation efforts.”

With thanks to Janine Dunlop, Niven Librarian, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town.

Reference:

Loss, S.R., C., Boughton, B., Cady, S.M., Londe, D.W., McKinney, C., O’Connell, T.J., Riggs, G.J. & Robertson, E.P. 2022.  Review and synthesis of the global literature on domestic cat impacts on wildlife.  Journal of Animal EcologyJournal of Animal Ecology doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13745.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 May 2022

The illustrated Species Summaries have been produced to help inform the public, including school learners, of the biology and conservation needs of the 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments, and the still incomplete Photo Essay and Infographic series.

The 22 albatross summaries were originally produced to inform members of Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) who produced artworks to support World Albatross Day 2020.  They have been produced in in the three ACAP official languages of English, French and Spanish.

Similarly, summaries in English for the nine ACAP-listed petrels and shearwaters were used to accompany ABUN paintings in 2021 for a project entitled “Painting Petrels in Peril”.  These nine accounts are now available from here in English, completing the series.  Preparation of French and Spanish versions are currently underway and will be added soon.

The English versions also may be found via original posts in ACAP Latest News by clicking on the links below.

Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni
Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea
Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes hall
Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus
Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus
Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata
Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica
White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer & Bree Forrer, ACAP Communications Advisor, 25 May 2022

Best practice mitigation: a bird-scaring line with its coloured streamers flapping in the wind, photograph from Projeto Albatroz

The Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MoP7) to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) held virtually over 9-13 May concluded with all Parties agreeing much work remains to be done in addressing threats to seabird populations.  The meeting was chaired by Gaia Puleston of Australia.

Reflecting on the task ahead in her opening address to MoP7, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, the Governor of the State of Tasmania, said: “The world is watching how you work together to conserve imperilled albatrosses and petrels.  The future of these species depends on your collective efforts.  I wish all participants at the Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties every success in ensuring there is a secure foundation upon which to advance the work of ACAP in the coming triennium.”

In 2019, ACAP's Advisory Committee declared a conservation crisis, which continues to be the most serious threat faced by its 31 listed species, with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying every year as a result of fisheries operations.

The implementation of ACAP’s Best Practice seabird bycatch mitigation advice by ACAP Parties, non-Party Range States and, critically, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) was identified as essential for the conservation of these majestic seabirds.

ACAP has developed a comprehensive range of Best Practice Advice guidelines and factsheets containing proven mitigation measures that can be implemented by coastal States and distant water fishing nations to reduce seabird bycatch.  These are available in multiple languages and can be accessed through the ACAP website.

Encouragingly, a growing number of RFMOs and other bodies have adopted several ACAP best practice measures in their operations leading to the reduction of seabird bycatch from longline and trawl fishing.  Progress was also noted in work addressing land-based threats to seabirds, in particular programmes directed at the eradication of invasive species.

Dr Michael Double, who currently chairs the ACAP Advisory Committee (and was the MoP7 Vice Chair) in his report to the Parties, highlighted the urgent need to engage with RFMOs and other organisations in adopting ACAP best practice for fisheries to prevent further declines in the populations of albatrosses and petrels.  He stated “the Advisory Committee continues to recommend that Parties, Range States and RFMOs promote and implement best-practice seabird mitigation measures, improve the collection and reporting of seabird bycatch data, implement priority monitoring and tracking studies and continue schemes to eradicate invasive species at breeding sites.”  Improving this critical information is vital for the development of targeted future priority conservation actions.

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ACAP’s activities was noted, with progress of some ACAP activities slowed.  With the easing of restrictions across the globe, it is hoped that ACAP can resume key activities, including restarting its grants and secondments programmes and continued engagement with RFMOs.

ACAP’s Executive Secretary, Dr Christine Bogle, commented that “this Meeting of the Parties reiterated the commitment of ACAP Parties and partner organisations to strive to protect these unique birds from the threats that they continue to confront.”

The report of the meeting will be available in ACAP's three official languages of English, French and Spanish in due course (click here), from where the MoP7 documents considered at the meeting may be viewed.

ACAP Secretariat, 24 May 2022

A Black-footed Albatross between two decoys; photograph by Lindsay Young, Pacific Rim Conservation

The recently released Seabird Restoration Database owned and managed by the Hawaiian-based Pacific Rim Conservation is described as “a unique global product presenting practitioners with real world examples of active seabird restoration efforts from around the world.”

Active Seabird Restoration is defined on the project’s website as the “deliberate attraction or movement of seabirds to establish or enhance a colony. Social attraction uses stimuli such as sound and decoys to lure seabirds into a restoration site while translocation is the physical movement of seabirds from a source colony to a restoration site. In many cases, both methods are used to restore a seabird colony. The Seabird Restoration Database seeks to improve knowledge transfer among practitioners and enhance seabird conservation by documenting the methods and outcomes from social attraction and translocation activities applied to restore and recover seabird populations around the world”

The database’s website explains “Thanks to the generous support from the Packard Marine Bird Program, and the knowledge contributions of seabird experts from around the world, we built the Seabird Restoration Database, a first of its kind conservation database documenting the global effort to restore seabirds using active restoration techniques. Between 2020-2021 we collated data from the literature, reports, databases and consulted with over 500 seabird experts to determine the species, locations, methods, and outcomes from active seabird restoration efforts. The database now contains over 800 records of ongoing, planned, complete, and incomplete active restoration efforts, including those with under achieved outcomes. Project justifications include both restoration goals and trials/experiments applied to inform future conservation activities.”

Read more about the database here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 May 2022