By Bob Zuur
WWF-New Zealand Marine Advocate
A huddle of rocky islands crept out of the bleak dawn. Hundreds of seabirds circled overhead. Most of these were Salvin’s albatrosses.
Perhaps 30,000 pairs (95 percent of the species) breed on the Bounties. Numbers appear to have declined, probably as a result of fishing.
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Bob Zuur is a marine biologist who is spending a month exploring Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic Islands to raise awareness of the area and its importance. His current work with WWF focuses on fisheries, offshore oil exploration and seabed mining, and on increasing protected areas in our marine environment. He will be documenting his travels here on 3news.co.nz.
Our Far South Bob Zuur RSS Feed
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A Ministry of Fisheries paper estimated that between 2,900 and 3,900 birds are potentially killed each year, which is much more than their population can sustain. Although mortalities have dropped by a quarter, this albatross is vulnerable to extinction unless fishing deaths are significantly reduced.
In contrast to the graceful albatrosses, the Bounty Island shags were clumsy in the air. One struggled to get airborne and, in trying to fly over the Spirit almost collided with one of the OFS team and landed on one of the hovercraft. Indignant, it preened a few crooked feathers and flew off for breakfast.
We had hoped to be able to explore the shoreline with the Zodiacs, but this was thwarted by the angry swell. Captain Dmitri turned the Spirit to the northwest and set course for Lyttelton.
source: newshub archive
