The Plastic Assault On Our Oceans

June 19th, 2007 Ocean Champions .org

Every bit of plastic ever made still exists. Plastic is not biodegradable but it is photodegradable. That is, sunlight breaks plastic down to very tiny pieces, leaving its molecular structure intact. Those pieces of plastic, big or small, eventually find their way to the ocean and begin a journey through every conceivable corner of our ocean's ecosystems.

Pollution from plastic debris is now wreaking havoc on our oceans. Many marine animals mistake them for food and die with bellies full of bottle caps, lighters and other inedible scraps.

Plastics in the ocean also leach deadly chemicals - into the water and the bodies of marine animals. To read more about how plastic debris is harming our oceans and ocean wildlife, click here.

Plastics are damaging our oceans but, you can be part of the solution - Ask your Representative to cosponsor the OCEANS-21 "ocean health" bill. If passed, OCEANS-21 would become the first national oceans policy. OCEANS-21 would, among other things, improve ocean resource management and help control and minimize the amount of plastics in our oceans. taking action,

In summary, OCEANS-21 would repair the broken system of ocean management if passed by:

• Establishing a comprehensive National Oceans Policy, unifying ocean management under one policy rather than a hodgepodge of ocean laws and programs.

• Strengthening the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), thereby streamlining federal oversight and management of ocean policy.

• Promoting ecosystem-based management of our oceans.

• Enhancing responsible ocean stewardship through education, information collection, and citizen involvement.

• Establishing an Oceans and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund to support the purposes of the bill.

Albatrosses in St. George Island

Drastic Decline in Wandering Albatross Numbers Again
By Sally Poncet of South Georgia Surveys.

Photo by Roy Summers

The South Georgia Wandering Albatross population has sustained another drastic decline. At Bird Island, where scientists have been monitoring the population for over 30 years, a total of 779 nests were counted in January 2007. After correcting for early season failures, this equates to an estimated total of 802 breeding pairs. That is a decline of 49 pairs compared to last season and of 125 pairs since this breeder group last bred in the 2005 season. A similar trend was recorded in the Bay of Isles, with a big drop at Prion Island - 28 nests in total, compared to 33 last year and 42 in 2005.

Dr. Richard Phillips from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) says that analysis of long-term Bird Island data - from ringing-recovery records (both at sea and from other sites at South Georgia), Fisheries Observer reports, satellite tracking data and annual censuses - may provide some of the answers behind the drop. Given the routinely high breeding success of this species, it is unlikely that ocean regime shifts or changing availability of fishing discards is having an impact, and that an increase in adult and juvenile mortality on long lines is almost certainly the root cause of the population declines.

South Georgia albatross and petrel declines due to incidental mortality (rather than introduced predators) are amongst the worst in the South Atlantic (although several species at Tristan da Cunha and Gough are also declining rapidly). Among the many activities that are attempting to address the problem, is an assessment of the impact of ICCAT (International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) fisheries on seabirds. Initial data collation and mapping will be carried out by BirdLife International and BAS. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation will do the modelling of total by catch and impact on populations.

The introduction of mitigation measures in the pelagic and demersal fisheries around the Falklands and South Georgia has proved to be very effective in reducing seabird mortality. Adoption of similar mitigation by other regional fisheries management organisations would be of huge benefit to albatrosses and petrels, and would help stop the disastrous decline of South Georgia's wanderers.

Albatross Decline

Bad News for the Albatross

by Kitty Martin

The already-tenuous future of the albatross has suffered another blow with the recent discovery of another drastic decline in population of the wandering albatross on South Georgia Island.

For the past 30 years, scientists have been monitoring the population of albatross on Bird Island, which lies off the northwest tip of South Georgia. In January of this year, they counted 779 nests, which amounts to about 802 pairs of breeding birds. That represents a decline of 49 pairs from the 2006 season and 125 pairs from 2005.

Albatross inhabit all of the world's oceans except for the Arctic, though 17 of the 21 species are found only in the South Atlantic, and 19 of those 21 species are in serious danger of extinction.

Albatross only give birth to one chick at a time, and some species reproduce only every other season. Additionally, albatross mate for life. If a partner dies, it could take years to find a replacement, if at all. In short, albatross simply can't reproduce fast enough to counteract their rapidly declining population.

According to Dr. Richard Phillips of the British Antarctic Survey, analysis of the long-term data collected from Bird Island suggests that hooks attached to bait used in long-line fishing are almost certainly the root cause for the consistent decline in albatross. According to the organization Save the Albatross, the fishhooks kill one hundred thousand albatross each year--about one every five minutes. Pirate fishing--illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing--is to blame for about one-third of albatross deaths.

A number of organizations are rallying to find a solution to this problem. BirdLife International and the British Antarctic Survey plan to assess the impact of the International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna on seabirds, and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization will model the fishing industry's total by catch and its impact on the albatross.

Save the Albatross is also working on the birds' behalf, (Read details in CW's July "Shoreline," Page 20) and recently joined forces with Volvo Ocean Race organizers, who are encouraging racers to record albatross sightings and collect other data.

Renowned solo circumnavigator Dame Ellen MacArthur is also involved. BBC just recently aired the documentary "Ellen and the Albatross," which highlights MacArthur's two-week visit to South Georgia Island, where she helped naturalist Sally Pancet study the wandering albatross.

MacArthur recalls the albatross as a constant companion on her voyages in the South Atlantic, especially in the Roaring 40s. The bird is a fitting symbol for a lone sailor, as it can fly 1,000 miles in one day and remain at sea for 10 years without ever touching land.

For more information on Save the Albatross, click here; to read the South George Island Newsletter story about the albatross, click here

For the full story, click here.