The rime of the modern mariner: evidence for capture of yellow-nosed albatross from Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean longline fisheries
Résumé
Commercial fisheries currently pose a serious
threat at sea to the conservation of a number of pelagic
seabirds. However, these interactions are complex, and
reports on population-specific bycatch in the high seas are
scarce. Here we report the case of an Indian yellow-nosed
albatross Thalassarche carteri re-sighted on Amsterdam
Island after an apparent capture by an Indonesian longliner,
as indicated by a message attached to the bird. This
record demonstrates that Amsterdam birds may interact
with long-liners indeed, at least during winter, and that
such interactions are not systematically lethal. We suggest
that bycatch sub-lethal effects should be investigated at
colonies with high risks of individual capture at sea.