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At the opening on the 21st Century, the timeless symbol of Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner -- the albatross -- is being driven toward extinction by pirate fishing for toothfish around Antarctica.

There are 24 species of albatross (see box below), 21 of which are threatened by longline fishing. Nineteen of these are found in the Southern Ocean. They include seven great albatross species, including the Royal and Wandering albatross with wingspans of up to 3.5 metres - the largest flying birds on earth - which only breed every two years, and 12 smaller species with wingspans of 2 - 2.5 metres.

These are all naturally long-lived animals, which return to their subantarctic breeding grounds as adults (perhaps 10 years old), and the same mate, season after season. They lay a single egg and the resulting chick needs both parents in order to provide enough food for it to fledge and depart for sea itself. If one parent is lost, the chick starves to death at the nest. Southern Ocean albatross feed largely on squid species.

Scientists estimate that at least 60,000 seabirds may be hooked and drowned each year by 'long line' fishing vessels engaged in the pirate fishery for toothfish. These vessels set lines with up to 20,000 baited hooks. Between 50 and 100 million hooks are set in the Southern Ocean each year. In just one year, the pirate fishery for Patagonian Toothfish has drowned an estimated 15 % of some albatross species. Seabirds the world over have learned that fishing vessels offer feeding opportunities from discarded baits, fish offal and garbage. As the longlines are "set" from the rear of the fishing vessel, the baited hooks are siezed by albatross and other seabirds - either at the surface or several metres underwater - and the birds are hooked, dragged underwater and drowned.

The resulting albatross mortality is not sustainable for any population, and at most well-studied sites, around Antarctica, albatross populations are in decline. Current scientific evidence indicates that mortality due to longlining is the single most serious threat to albatross populations. These new threats at-sea are added to the existing problems of habitat modification and predator introduction at many of the sub-antarctic breeding grounds. For the Amsterdam albatross - already down to 5-8 breeding pairs - on Amsterdam Island, the loss of adult birds to longline fishing in the South Indian Ocean could be the final straw.

The problem of albatross bycatch is well documented and some governments have recently taken small steps to address the problem. However these will not be enough to prevent the collapse of some albatross populations at current levels of fishing. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has instituted some measures to reduce seabird bycatch. Unfortunately, the pirate fishing vessels ignore these rules and fish on regardless.

Status of albatross species
Critically Endangered:	Amsterdam albatross, Chatham albatross
Endangered:	Northern Royal albatross, Tristan albatross
Vulnerable:	Antipodean albatross, Gibson's albatross, Wandering albatross, Black-footed albatross, Short-tailed albatross, Campbell albatross, Pacific albatross, Salvin's albatross, White-capped albatross, Indian yellow-nosed albatross, Buller's albatross, Grey-headed albatross, Shy albatross, Sooty albatross, Southern Royal albatross, Waved albatross
Near Threatened:	Black-browed albatross
Least Concern:	Laysan albatross
Data Deficient:	Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, Light-mantled albatross
Source: Croxall and Gales - in: Albatross Biology and Conservation. (ed. G. Robertson & R Gales) 1998. Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Albatross - At the Edge