Antarctic fulmars return home after rescue effort

JULY 12 2019 - 3:52PM

Jesinta Burton

Two southern fulmars have been given a second chance at life after being found more than 5,000 kilometres from their home in Antarctica and nursed back to health by volunteers from the state's Seabird Rescue group.

The pair were released in Albany earlier this week after one was discovered in a retirement village in Australind and another was found on the canals in Halls Head in June.

Though the seabirds were among five to be found, they were the only ones to survive.

Western Australian Seabird Rescue spokesperson Fiona O'Sullivan said the birds' recovery had been a month-long process, having been exhausted, weak and underweight when they came into care.

"These fulmars, their minimum weight is typically around 700 grams," Ms O'Sullivan said.

"A couple of the fulmars that have come in have only weighed about 430 grams, which is a lot less than what they need to be.

"They came into care, thanks to a very experienced carer in Baldivis. 

"Initially, we only feed them fluids to rehydrate them and then we gradually reintroduce foods to help building up their strength.

"I transported the birds to our experienced carer in Albany and she continued their care until they were both released."

Southern fulmars typically breed in colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula, moving north during the winter months away from the pack ice.

Ms O'Sullivan said it was very unusual to see the birds in WA, and even more unusual for the rescue group to have two in its care at the same time.

"They're birds that live out on the ocean and they're from Antarctica, so we very rarely see them," she said. 

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Nearly 100 sea birds found dead on Albany beaches

Friday, 20 October 2017 3:44AM

More than 80 sea birds have washed up dead on Albany beaches, according to the Conservation Council of WA.

The flesh-footed shearwaters were found washed up dead on Goode and Fisheries Beech on the western side of King George Sound, south of Albany.

Conservation Council of WA Nic Dunlop said the kills may be caused by purse-seine fishing.

“The timing of this Shearwater kill is unusually early, but in every other respect fitted the now familiar pattern of these seabirds being drowned in the purse-seine nets used by the Albany-based South Coast Purse-seine Fishery,” Dr Dunlop said.

“The Flesh-footed Shearwater is a species that has recently shown a dramatic decline in all three of its populations. The species is known to be particularly susceptible as bycatch in a variety of commercial fisheries, to the ingestion of plastics, and to changes in marine climate.

Losing another eighty adult shearwaters from the local breeding population - in addition to around seventy earlier in the year - is a serious conservation issue.

“CCWA has attempted to work cooperatively with the Department of Fisheries to eliminate this problem from the fishery for more than a decade. There was an early reduction in bycatch from thousands to hundreds of individuals but no further progress since then.”

But WA Fishing Industry Council CEO John Harrison has denied that activities by the Albany-based South Coast Purse-seine Fishery are connected to the bird's deaths.

"The recent loss of shearwaters in the Albany region is concerning but WAFIC (based on advice from fishers) does not believe it is linked to purse seine fishing," Mr Harrison says.

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