GLOBAL Birdfair supremo Tim Appleton MBE has this week announced the event's conservation project for 2025 - Safeguarding Ocean Species.
Says he: "The focus will be on tackling threats facing our magnificent seabirds in the southern Pacific."
The bait and dead fish surrounding fishing vessels represent a rich feeding ground, often attracting hundreds of seabirds.
Sadly, for many seabirds, including Antipodean and other albatross species, plus shearwaters and petrels, this meal is often their last.
Incidental capture (also known as bycatch) in fishing gear is the most pervasive threat to these birds.
Particularly deadly are thousands of hooks attached to long lines which can extend up to 100 km into the ocean.
The bait on these hooks appears to represent an easy meal for albatross because it mimics fish swimming close to the water’s surface.
However, when the birds snatch on to what seems like unassuming prey, they often get snagged and dragged underwater as the hooks sink.
These seabirds do not need to die.
Solutions such as bird scaring lines (otherwise known as Tori lines) use colourful streamers to scare away seabirds.
Through the work of the Albatross Task Force in South Africa, bycatch mitigation methods have been used to great affect in reducing the mortality of albatrosses by an astonishing 99 per cent.
The 2025 Global Birdfair project will champion best practice and contribute to more resilient, healthy ocean ecosystems to ensure that seabirds can soar free.
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