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Negotiations have concluded successfully today on the text of a new international treaty, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). The Agreement was finalised following a week-long meeting hosted by the South African Government in Cape Town, which included government representatives from albatross and petrel range states and nations with fishing fleets that interact with these highly threatened seabirds.

Albatrosses have the highest proportion of threatened species of any bird family, making them the most imperilled of all the world's seabirds. Scientists fear that up to 26 species of albatross and petrel may soon become extinct unless firm steps are taken to reverse the destructive effects of uncontrolled long line fishing, pollution, habitat degradation, human disturbance of breeding sites, and introduced diseases and predators.

Of the 24 species of albatross, 21 species have declining populations, or have populations of unknown status. About 50 percent of albatross, populations contain fewer than 100 breeding pairs, making albatrosses extremely susceptible to random events or even low levels of mortality.

When all the species of albatross and 7 species of petrel from the Southern Hemisphere were listed on the Appendices of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, it was a recognition that urgent international co-operation was needed to improve their threatened conservation status. Following the listings governments, led by Australia and others in the Valdivia Group of Southern Hemisphere Countries for the Environment, embarked on discussions to develop the Agreement. The Cape Town meeting has followed on from an earlier negotiation meeting held in Australia in 2000.

The Agreement, which includes an Action Plan, describes a number of conservation measures to be implemented by signatories to the proposed Agreement. These include research and monitoring, reduction of incidental mortality in fisheries, eradication of non-native species at breeding sites (especially introduced predators such as rats and cats), reduction of disturbance and habitat loss, and reducing pollution.

The South African Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Mohammed Valli Moosa, informed the meeting that South Africa is looking forward to becoming an active member of the Agreement. "South Africa's albatrosses and petrels breeding at the Prince Edward Islands are now threatened by the effects of pirate long line fishing and recent studies by South African researchers show alarming trends in their populations. We hope the Agreement will help us and other countries to rid pirate fishing from our seas," said Minister Valli Moosa. The Minister also indicated that South Africa is in the process of nominating the Prince Edward Islands for World Heritage listing for their outstanding conservation values.

Dr Denzil Miller, the Head of the South African Delegation to the negotiations, commented that it was a great honour for South Africa to have hosted the meeting and it was extremely gratifying that so much progress had been possible to finalise the Agreement text. He reiterated that South Africa carries, along with the other participating countries, a unique responsibility for ensuring the ongoing survival of the most threatened albatross and petrel species which breed in areas under its control and which visit the waters where its vessels fish.

Mr Mark O'Sullivan, Head of the UK Delegation, stressed his Government's commitment to the Agreement. He said, "We are delighted to have been able to offer support for this important meeting, and at the successful outcome of the negotiations".

Mr David Pritchard, representing Bird Life International at the meeting, was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations. He called for countries to begin implementing the terms of the Agreement immediately, without waiting for the formality of entry into force. "Albatrosses and petrels are still dying in their thousands on the hooks of long line fisheries, and Bird Life International expects all countries holding the fate of these magnificent birds in their hands to join and implement the Agreement as soon as possible" said Mr Pritchard.

The Chairperson of the meeting, Mr Stephen Hunter of Environment Australia, said that he was pleased with the way consensus had been reached during the week and that he was sure this augured well for early adoption of the Agreement.

The Agreement meeting in Cape Town has been sponsored by the governments of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Additional support has been received from the African Seabird Group, the World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa) and the University of Cape Town. Countries attending the meeting came from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including several from South America.

Contact Mr John Cooper on (021) 650 3426

Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2 February 2001