Albatrosses are among the world's most remarkable birds, capable of living 70+ years and forming lifelong pair bonds, yet facing devastating mortality from longline fishing that drowns thousands annually.
Albatrosses drowning on longline hooks experience one of the most distressing deaths documented in seabird bycatch. As air-breathing birds that dive for food, becoming entangled on hooks and dragged underwater causes rapid exhaustion and drowning over minutes. The long lifespan of albatrosses means each individual killed represents decades of accumulated experience and paired social bonds. Albatross pairs that have bonded for years and raised chicks together separate permanently when one partner is killed at sea - the surviving bird may spend years attempting to re-pair while failing to breed successfully. The chicks of killed birds face starvation as single parents struggle to provide sufficient food.