Wildlife

Black-Footed Albatross Welfare in the Pacific

The black-footed albatross nests on Hawaiian atolls and forages across the North Pacific, facing welfare threats from plastic pollution and longline bycatch.

Key Facts

Nests primarily on Midway Atoll and other Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Listed as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List
Chicks are frequently fed plastic debris by parents who mistake it for food
Long-line bycatch in Pacific fisheries causes significant adult mortality
Rising sea levels threaten low-lying nesting atolls

Welfare Considerations

Plastic ingestion by chicks causes gut impaction, starvation, and death. Parents cannot distinguish floating plastic from squid and fish, feeding it to chicks who cannot regurgitate it. Sea level rise from climate change threatens the low-lying atoll nesting sites that most of the world population depends on. Longline bycatch continues despite mitigation requirements in some fisheries.

What You Can Do

Reduce plastic use to lower Pacific ocean plastic pollution
Support Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge albatross protection
Donate to Pacific albatross conservation and plastic pollution research
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation in Pacific longline fisheries