Tweeters;
I'll counter the bad news with some good. Our halibut stock assessment
surveys this summer ranged from BC waters to the end of the Aleutian
Islands. In nearly every survey region we saw Short-tailed Albatross. In
1997 we recorded 7 birds but in 1998 we saw 35 birds. It was an amazing year
for sightings especially when the current population is estimated to be only
1,000 individuals. Encouraging too were the number of unbanded birds we
recorded. For those who don't know Hiroshi Hasegawa is Mr. Short-tail and he
has banded nearly every bird on their nesting colony on Torishima Island,
Japan. Unbanded birds are good news indicating they may have a successful
colony somewhere else. Torishima Island is volcanic so the population is
under threat from nature as well as the longline fleet. I have a bunch of
photographs scanned for those who want a look at a really cool bird.
http://www.iphc.washington.edu:80/pages/iphc/staff/tracee/STABlinks.html

Tracee Geernaert
International Pacific Halibut Commission
PO Box 95009
Seattle, WA 98145-2009
206: 634-1838 ext 208
http://www.iphc.washington.edu:80/pages/iphc/staff/tracee/tracee.htm



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney [SMTP:festuca at olywa.net]
> Sent: Monday, November 02, 1998 12:12 PM
> To: 'obol at mail.orst.edu'; 'tweeters at u.washington.edu'
> Subject: FW: NMFS Information Bulletin on Recent Takes of 2 STALB
>
> Hi folks,
>
> The opportunities for us to view a Short-tailed Albatross have
> apparently been diminished by 2 birds, according to this recent
> NMFS bulletin.
>
> Jon. Anderson
> Olympia, Washington
> festuca at olywa.net
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: 02 Nov 1998 11:39:43 -0500
> From: Kim Rivera <Kim.Rivera at noaa.gov>
> To: birdbycatch at pond.net
> Subject: NMFS Information Bulletin on Recent Takes of 2 STALB
>
> Go to http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/ , NMFS Alaska Region Home Page,
> and click on 1998 News Releases and Information Bulletins, then #108, for
> the recently issued information bulletin on recent takes of 2 Short-
> tailed Albatrosses.
>
> The text is pasted below....
>
> INFORMATION BULLETIN (98-108) October 22, 1998
> Protected Resources Division
> 907-586-7235
>
> NMFS REPORTS THE INCIDENTAL TAKE OF 2 SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSSES IN THE
> BSAI HOOK-AND-LINE GROUNDFISH FISHERY
>
> The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reports the
> incidental take of 2 endangered short-tailed albatrosses in the
> hook-and-line groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea/Aleutian
> Islands (BSAI). The first bird was taken on September 21, 1998
> at 57 30'N, 173 57'W. The bird had identifying leg bands from
> its natal breeding colony in Japan. It was 8 years old. In a
> separate incident, one short-tailed albatross was observed taken
> on September 28, 1998 at 58 27'N, 175 16'W but the specimen was
> not able to be retained. Identification of the bird was
> confirmed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) seabird
> experts. The confirmation was based upon the observer's
> description of key characteristics that matched that of a
> subadult short-tailed albatross to the exclusion of all other
> species. A second albatross was also taken on September 28 but
> the species could not be confirmed (3 species of albatross occur
> in the North Pacific). Both vessels were using seabird avoidance
> measures when the birds were hooked, according to Jim Balsiger,
> Acting Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
>
> The current world population of the endangered short-tailed
> albatross is approximately 1000 individuals. The short-tailed
> albatross is protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and
> under the law, an incidental take level of 4 birds is allowed
> during the 2-year period of 1997 and 1998 for the BSAI and Gulf
> of Alaska (GOA) hook-and-line groundfish fisheries. If the
> incidental take limit is exceeded during that time, any
> operations causing such take must cease pending reinitiation of
> consultation with the USFWS.
>
> The NMFS Regional Office, NMFS Groundfish Observer Program, and
> the USFWS Offices of Ecological Services and Migratory Bird
> Management are actively coordinating efforts and communicating
> with each other in response to these take incidents and are
> complying to the fullest extent with ESA requirements to protect
> this species.
>
>