An albatross trailing a fishing trawler about 50km off Cape Point shows why conservationists call for urgent action: the birds follow vessels for discarded bait and risk getting hooked on long lines, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Birdwatchers on a Cape Town Pelagics trip described flocks gathering at the stern as crews sort catch, increasing the danger to species that spend much of their lives at sea (AOL).
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According to BirdLife International the Albatross Task Force, led by BirdLife South Africa, trains crews and supplies simple bird-scaring ‘tori’ lines that hang colourful streamers above lines and nets. The measure has helped reduce seabird deaths in South African waters by an estimated 99% since the team began working with fleets.
‘Bird-scaring lines are simple and effective,’ the project notes.
Tim Appleton, a British conservationist quoted in the field report, explains the mechanics: ‘They get caught on what they call long lines,’ he said, noting some lines carry thousands of baited hooks that can drag birds under and drown them. Andrea Angel of BirdLife South Africa adds: ‘Of all of the groups of birds in the world, the seabirds are one of the most endangered.’
South Africa, with a mid-year population of about 63.1 million, balances coastal livelihoods and conservation as the programme seeks wider uptake among fishers and policymakers to secure albatross populations for the future.
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Also read:
SANCCOB’s Seabird Hospital: A family-friendly learning adventure
Picture: Grant Durr/ Unsplash
