Risks of decline and extinction of the endangered Amsterdam albatross and the projected impact of long-line fisheries

The Amsterdam albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis) is one of the rarest bird species of world avifauna, consisting of a single population in the upland plateau of Amsterdam Island (SE Indian Ocean). All breeding birds of the population are today banded and a monitoring program involving mark-recapture procedures has been carried out continuously over the past 16 years. We present the first estimate of risk of decline for the Amsterdam albatross using a stochastic matrix population model, and evaluate the extent to which the measurement errors in demographic estimates may affect the baseline conservation assessment. We also estimate the potential effect that resumption of long-line fisheries in the vicinity of Amsterdam Island (one the alleged causes for its low numbers in the recent past) may have on the persistence of this population. Our results indicate that, in the absence of any impact of long-line fisheries, the Amsterdam albatross is unlikely to experience a decline larger than 20% of the current population abundance over the next 50 years. Our results point out the difficulty to assess with certainty the extinction risk of small populations despite the availability of long term data on their demography. They suggest that a very cautious approach should be taken for the preservation of small populations of long-lived species that cannot sustain any level of incidental by-catch. Any new long-line fishery resuming in the foraging range of the Amsterdam albatross, but especially close to Amsterdam Island, may rapidly put this species at risk of extinction.     

The conservation status of the spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata

The spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata is listed as critically endangered due to its small population size and ongoing mortality on long-lines. Spectacled petrels were counted in 2004, repeating a census made in 1999 at their sole breeding locality, Inaccessible Island. The 2004 survey took place earlier in the breeding season than the previous count, allowing for more robust estimates of burrow occupancy. During early incubation, birds responded to call playback at 69% of burrow entrances, but birds in at least 8% of burrows remained silent. Birds in shallow burrows were less likely to respond to playback than were those in deep burrows. Two repeat trials at 100 marked nests showed that at least 61% of apparently ‘unoccupied’ burrows were occupied on subsequent checks, resulting in an overall occupancy estimate of 91%. Occupancy was equally high in peripheral colonies. The apparent spatial extent of colonies increased slightly from 1999, and the estimate of total burrow numbers increased by 50%, from 5900 burrows in 1999 to 8900 in 2004. Validation surveys indicated that burrow numbers were underestimated (84 ± 3%) to the same extent as that in 1999 (85 ± 4%), and repeat checks of one colony where all nests were marked showed that even careful counts underestimated actual numbers of burrows by up to 10%. This suggests there are some 11-12,000 burrows, and assuming 90% occupancy, the adult population is likely to be at least 20,000 birds. The population has increased over the last five years, continuing the apparent recovery from a very small population size in the early 20th century. Despite this increase, demographic models indicate that the population remains at risk from relatively small increases in mortality, if mortality is determined primarily by fishing effort. Mitigation of long-line mortality remains the key conservation goal for this species.     

中西太平洋长鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus alalunga)延绳钓渔场分布的时空变化

为提高中西太平洋金枪鱼延绳钓渔业作业效率和应对多变的渔业政策等提供参考,本研究根据2011年2月-2012年1月间中水集团远洋渔业股份有限公司的10艘延绳钓渔船的作业数据,结合海洋表层水温(SST)等环境因子,统计分析了单位努力量渔获量(CPUE)、渔获量和SST之间的关系并利用频度累加法分析了该海域长鳍金枪鱼渔场分布的时空变化。结果显示,中西太平洋海域,深度为200 m和150 m的水温全年基本维持不变,但SST变动较大并对渔场分布和CPUE有较大影响。渔场的周年变动是由14°S左右向26°S转移再回归14°S的一个往复过程;20°S以北的渔场全年连续存在,高渔获量和高产CPUE主要分布于SST为28-29℃的水域;23°S以南的渔场,因为受到复杂天气状况的限制,只有5-8月适合生产作业,高渔获量和高产CPUE主要分布于SST为22-24℃的水域,被调查船只在南部渔场,在此期间,被调查作业船只以全年14.4%的作业天数,捕获了占全年总渔获量27.6%的长鳍金枪鱼渔获物。若加强作业船只和渔具的抗风浪性,则可以在25°S以南的海域探索新的全年稳定存在的长鳍金枪鱼渔场。     

印度洋金枪鱼延绳钓主要渔获种类及分布

根据印度洋金枪鱼管理委员会IOTC的金枪鱼生产数据库,对1967-2004年间印度洋金枪鱼延绳钓主要渔获种类的产量按年进行汇总和基于5度格网进行了空间上的统计,采用GIS软件制作了印度洋金枪鱼延绳钓主要渔获种类的捕捞产量的地理空间分布图,分析了其资源的空间分布特征。分析结果表明,大眼金枪鱼Thunnus obesus、黄鳍金枪鱼Thunnus albacares、长鳍金枪鱼Thun-nus alalunga和剑鱼Xiphias gladius是印度洋金枪鱼延绳钓的主要渔获种类,其产量之和占到总产量的90%,这4种印度洋金枪鱼延绳钓的主要渔获种类从1967-2004年的产量均呈上升趋势,但产量的峰谷变化各不相同;空间分布特征研究表明,尽管在印度洋海域分布范围广泛,但产量丰沛的区域存在明显差异。