The populations of wandering,
black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on
sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published in the
journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research, led by scientists
at British Antarctic Study (BAS), attributes this decline to environmental
change, and to deaths in longline and trawl fisheries (known as bycatch).
Albatrosses are the world's most
threatened family of birds. There are 22 species; according to the IUCN Red
List, 17 of these are 'Threatened with extinction' and the remaining five are
considered to be 'Near-threatened'. BAS scientists at Bird Island have been
monitoring the populations since 1972.
By analysing the breeding
histories of more than 36,000 individually ringed albatrosses, researchers have
found decreases in the survival rates of both adults and juveniles, causing
serious declines in population growth rates with long-lasting effects.
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