Wildlife

Albatross Conservation and Long-Line Fishing

Albatrosses are among the longest-lived seabirds, with most species now threatened primarily by drowning in longline fishing gear.

Key Facts

Albatrosses can live over 60 years and return to the same nesting site annually
They mate for life and raise a single chick per two-year cycle
19 of 22 albatross species are currently threatened with extinction
Simple mitigation measures reduce albatross bycatch by over 90% at minimal cost to fishers
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels coordinates international action

Welfare Considerations

Albatrosses dying in longline gear drown after becoming hooked and pulled under the water while diving for bait. This is a distressing death for animals with the cognitive and emotional complexity of long-lived, monogamous seabirds. Losing a breeding adult also results in welfare consequences for the surviving partner and failed chick-rearing. Mitigation is cheap, effective, and urgently needed.

What You Can Do

Support adoption of bird-safe fishing practices by longline fishing vessels
Choose seafood from fisheries certified to use seabird bycatch reduction measures
Donate to the Save the Albatross campaign and similar organizations
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation in fisheries management agreements
Learn about albatross life history to appreciate what is lost when individuals are killed