hello tweets,

i just received this message this morning and thought you all
would be interested ...

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson, PhD Candidate nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
Love the creator? Then protect the creation.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

For Immediate Release
2 February 2001


A NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO PROTECT THREATENED SEABIRDS IS
CONCLUDED IN CAPE TOWN


Negotiations have concluded successfully today on the text of a new
international treaty, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses
and Petrels (ACAP). The Agreement was finalised following a week-long
meeting hosted by the South African Government in Cape Town, which
included government representatives from albatross and petrel range
states and nations with fishing fleets that interact with these highly
threatened seabirds.


Albatrosses have the highest proportion of threatened species of any
bird family, making them the most imperilled of all the world's
seabirds. Scientists fear that up to 26 species of albatross and
petrel may soon become extinct unless firm steps are taken to reverse
the destructive effects of uncontrolled longline fishing, pollution,
habitat degradation, human disturbance of breeding sites, and
introduced diseases and predators.


Of the 24 species of albatross, 21 species have declining populations,
or have populations of unknown status. About 50 percent of albatross
populations contain fewer than 100 breeding pairs, making albatrosses
extremely susceptible to random events or even low levels of
mortality.


When all the species of albatross and 7 species of petrel from the
Southern Hemisphere were listed on the Appendices of the Bonn
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, it was a
recognition that urgent international cooperation was needed to
improve their threatened conservation status. Following the listings
governments, led by Australia and others in the Valdivia Group of
Southern Hemisphere Countries for the Environment, embarked on
discussions to develop the Agreement. The Cape Town meeting has
followed on from an earlier negotiation meeting held in Australia in
2000.


The Agreement, which includes an Action Plan, describes a number of
conservation measures to be implemented by signatories to the proposed
Agreement. These include research and monitoring, reduction of
incidental mortality in fisheries, eradication of non-native species
at breeding sites (especially introduced predators such as rats and
cats), reduction of disturbance and habitat loss, and reducing
pollution.


The South African Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr
Mohammed Valli Moosa, informed the meeting that South Africa is
looking forward to becoming an active member of the Agreement. "South
Africa's albatrosses and petrels breeding at the Prince Edward Islands
are now threatened by the effects of pirate longline fishing and
recent studies by South African researchers show alarming trends in
their populations. We hope the Agreement will help us and other
countries to rid pirate fishing from our seas," said Minister Valli
Moosa. The Minister also indicated that South Africa is in the process
of nominating the Prince Edward Islands for World Heritage listing for
their outstanding conservation values.


Dr Denzil Miller, the Head of the South African Delegation to the
negotiations, commented that it was a great honour for South Africa to
have hosted the meeting and it was extremely gratifying that so much
progress had been possible to finalise the Agreement text. He
reiterated that South Africa carries, along with the other
participating countries, a unique responsibility for ensuring the
ongoing survival of the most threatened albatross and petrel species
which breed in areas under its control and which visit the waters
where its vessels fish.


Mr Mark O'Sullivan, Head of the UK Delegation, stressed his
Government's commitment to the Agreement. He said, "We are delighted
to have been able to offer support for this important meeting, and at
the successful outcome of the negotiations".


Mr David Pritchard, representing BirdLife International at the
meeting, was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations. He called
for countries to begin implementing the terms of the Agreement
immediately, without waiting for the formality of entry into force.
"Albatrosses and petrels are still dying in their thousands on the
hooks of longline fisheries, and BirdLife International expects all
countries holding the fate of these magnificent birds in their hands
to join and implement the Agreement as soon as possible" said Mr
Pritchard.


The Chairperson of the meeting, Mr Stephen Hunter of Environment
Australia, said that he was pleased with the way consensus had been
reached during the week and that he was sure this augured well for
early adoption of the Agreement.


The Agreement meeting in Cape Town has been sponsored by the
governments of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United
Kingdom. Additional support has been received from the African Seabird
Group, the World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa) and the
University of Cape Town. Countries attending the meeting came from
both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including several from
South America.


For more information on the meeting, please contact Mr John Cooper,
Head of Secretariat, (021) 650 3426 or jcooper at botzoo.uct.za