Subject: Fw: STAL in Bonin Islands
Date: Jan 4 19:42:44 2001
From: Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney - festuca at olywa.net


Hi folks,

Saw this on the Seabird-L list, and thought that those of us who would die
for a chance to see a Short-tailed Albatross might be interested in this
news from the breeding grounds...

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net
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Short-tailed albatross finds new habitat on Yomejima

Yomiuri Shimbun

One short-tailed albatross--a government designated
special natural monument--has been discovered on Yomejima island of the
Ogasawara Islands, Tokyo metropolitan government officials revealed
recently.

The discovery was made during research by Tokyo
metropolitan government into the island. Previously, it only had been
confirmed that the albatrosses currently inhabited Torishima island of
the Izu Islands and Minamikojima island of the Senkaku Islands.

The albatrosses used to widely inhabit the areas of
the northern Pacific Ocean. But due to uncontrolled hunting of the birds
for their feathers, the number rapidly declined to the point where the
birds were believed to have become extinct.

However, in 1951, more than 10 albatrosses were found
on Torishima island. Following this find, the central and metropolitan
governments started campaigns to protect the species and increase their
numbers.

Thanks to these efforts, there are now about 1,000
albatrosses on Torishima island. They also live on Minamikojima island,
although the number has yet to be confirmed.

Yomejima island is a deserted island located
southernmost among the Mukojima Islands--part of the Ogasawara Island
chain. In November, a member of a nonprofit organization spotted two
birds that appeared to be albatrosses on the island. Based on this
information, the search was carried out, leading to the Dec. 14
discovery of one albatross incubating an egg in a nest.

The metropolitan government said they want the island
to become a new habitat for the albatrosses. Early in January, it will
conduct further research to confirm whether or not the egg has hatched.

Copyright 2000 The Yomiuri Shimbun