Fishing Development Institute (IFOP) and ACAP celebrate world Albatross day
June 21st, 2021
With the slogan “Guarantee friendly fisheries for albatrosses“, ACAP and IFOP celebrate this second year “World Albatross Day“. The two critically endangered albatrosses, Tristan Albatross and Galapagos Albatross, have been chosen as “representative species” to draw attention to 22 species of albatrosses ongoing threats faced by them on the sea .
(ACAP)Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels Agreement, has established June 19th, as World Albatross Day to raise awareness about these birds around the world. The day also commemorates the date the Agreement was signed 20 years ago.
ACAP currently has 13 member countries (known as Parties) and coordinates international activities in order to reduce threats to these seabirds populations through legislation and education. This effort is supported by various non-member states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). At this time, ACAP covers 31 species of albatrosses, petrels and fardelas, most of which have a global threat status.
Luis Adasme, IFOP researcher highlighted “ Fisheries Development Institute since ACAP beginnings has had an active participation of its researchers in the different multilateral meetings, showing their work and that of the Institute in research on interactions between seabirds and fishing operations. The foregoing has made it possible to directly advise Undersecretariat of Fisheries, with relevant scientific-technical information in order to establish administrative measures aimed at reducing incidental catches in fishing operations”.
IFOP carries out different dissemination activities on fisheries bycatch problem, highlighting various talks with fishermen, students, industrialists and local community in general that aim to teach the population in a didactic and entertaining way about the importance of implementing mitigation measures and good practices in fishing operations in oprder to minimize effects on these magnificent birds, underlining current conservation crisis that threatens them.
For this year ACAP has generated a series of high resolution posters, which can be downloaded for free from the website. All these products are available in the 3 official languages of ACAP (English, French and Spanish). All this information can be found in the World Albatross Day section of the ACAP website (www.acap.aq) accessible from the home page. Please contact ACAP Information Officer if you have any difficulty finding or downloading the items listed above.