Albatrosses and petrels are amongst the most globally threatened group of birds in the world. The vast foraging movements of these seabirds take them onto the high seas and the national waters of other nations, making them truly international animals. Albatrosses and petrels face a suite of threats, both at their breeding colonies and at sea. The most critical of these is the mortality caused by longline and trawl fisheries in both domestic and international waters, with other threats including: the impact of introduced predators at breeding sites, disease, human disturbance, pollution and the effects of climate change.  Although most Range States of breeding populations undertake actions to conserve albatrosses and petrels within their national jurisdictions, the highly migratory nature of these species dictates that additional international cooperative action is required.

 

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) was adopted in Cape Town, South Africa and opened for signature in Canberra, Australia in 2001. ACAP initially covered nineteen albatross and seven larger petrel species of the southern hemisphere. However, at the Third Session of ACAP’s Meeting of the Parties in May 2009, the three north Pacific albatrosses (Black-footed, Laysan and Short-tailed Albatrosses) were added to Annex 1 of the Agreement, and now means that all twenty-two albatross species worldwide are covered by the Agreement, and that the Agreement has moved from a southern hemisphere focus to being truly global in its scope.  The purpose of the Agreement is to establish a cooperative and comprehensive framework and process to restore these species to a favourable conservation status. The Agreement aims to stop or reverse population declines by coordinating international action to mitigate known threats to albatross and petrel populations, The Agreement and its Action Plan (Annex 2) describe the actions that Parties are required to progressively implement. The Action Plan covers the following areas of work:

 

 

The Agreement came into force on 1 February 2004, with the number of Signatory States continuing to increase.  There are currently 13 Parties to the Agreement. The UK signed the Agreement in 2001 and ratified the Agreement on 2 April 2004. This ratification was extended to the Overseas Territories of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the British Antarctic Territory on the same date; and to Tristan da Cunha in April 2006 after Tristan da Cunha had adopted revised conservation legislation that met ACAP requirements.

 

JNCC provided scientific advice to the UK Government during negotiation sessions to draw up the Agreement and has subsequently continued to do so. This advice is based on knowledge of the status of albatross populations and of the working of mechanisms to implement other Agreements.

 

JNCC coordinates the provision of advice on albatross and petrel conservation to the relevant Overseas Territory Governments and other stakeholders, and facilitates coordination between the UK metropolitan Government and the relevant parts of administrations in the Overseas Territories on ACAP issues, and thus contributes towards the UK fulfilling the obligations of the Agreement.