WELLINGTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- New population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross in New Zealand are showing a five percent decline per year, which highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Ayesha Verrall said on Friday.
The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross population, classified as nationally critical, is declining at five percent per year.
Their current population is estimated at around 3,200 breeding pairs, but under the projected decline, only about 400 pairs may remain in 2050, Verrall said.
June 19 is World Albatross Day with the theme "Ensuring Albatross-Friendly Fisheries," referencing the number of albatross and petrels killed in fisheries, and the efforts being made to combat this, she said.
"A decline of this magnitude is particularly concerning for a long-lived and slow-breeding species like the Antipodean albatross," Verrall said.
"The current decline in numbers means that over three generations the Antipodean albatross will be on the verge of extinction if we don't take action," she said, adding because albatrosses feed on fish near the surface, they are vulnerable to being caught on fishing lines or in nets.
"We have an action plan aiming to reduce domestic bycatch to zero," she said, adding as part of the commitment to protecting the marine environment for future generations, the government has just announced funding for a wider roll-out of cameras on inshore fishing vessels.
It will be phased in to prioritize vessels that pose the greatest threat to protected species, including the Antipodean albatross, Verrall said. Enditem