Archived News

A Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli, identified by its reddish bill tip, has been photographed recently at sea off Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand with a longline hook and a length of line through its lower mandible (click here to view the photograph).  The bird is reported as looking in good health.

Giant petrels of both species are perhaps less known to fall victim to longlining than are albatrosses and some of the Procellaria petrels.

To read about a colour-banded Gibson's Antipodean Albatrosses Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni caught off Kaikoura that was entangled with fishing line and then successfully released click here.  More pictures of this albatross may be found at http://albatrossencounter.blogspot.com/.

Click here to access the ACAP Species Assessment for the Northern Giant Petrel.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 5 March 2011