The rime of the modern mariner: evidence for capture of yellow-nosed albatross from Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean longline fisheries

Jean-Baptiste Thiebot (1, 2, 3) , Jérémie Demay (3) , Cédric Marteau (2) , Henri Weimerskirch (3)

1 NiPR - National Institute of Polar Research [Tokyo]
2 Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises
3 CEBC - Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372

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.

Mots clés: Thalassarche carteri; Bycatch; Seabird; Indian Ocean Tuna Commission; Non-breeding period; Sub-lethal effects

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Jean-Baptiste Thiebot, Jérémie Demay, Cédric Marteau, Henri Weimerskirch. The rime of the modern mariner: evidence for capture of yellow-nosed albatross from Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean longline fisheries. Polar Biology, 2015, 38 (8), pp.1297-1300. ⟨10.1007/s00300-015-1680-5⟩. ⟨hal-01285531⟩