Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
Name	Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
Abbreviation	ACAP
Type	Multilateral environmental agreement
Signed	2001
Entered into force	2004
Parties	Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Peru, France, Japan, Norway, Uruguay, Ecuador, Republic of Korea, Spain
Secretariat	ACAP Secretariat
Headquarters	Hobart

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels is an international wildlife treaty focused on reducing threats to albatrosses and petrels through coordinated action among maritime and island states. It connects conservation policy across Antarctic and subantarctic regions involving treaty frameworks and organizations such as the Convention on Migratory Species, Convention on Biological Diversity, Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area, Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and regional fisheries management organizations like the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. The Agreement links national governments, intergovernmental bodies, and non-governmental organizations including BirdLife International, World Wildlife Fund, IUCN, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

Background and purpose

The instrument was negotiated under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species with engagement from states such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and Japan and organizations including BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Its purpose is to conserve albatrosses and petrels listed in a Schedule by promoting international cooperation among parties like France, Spain, Norway, Ecuador, and Peru and aligning with multilateral processes such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Ramsar Convention. The preamble references threats identified by researchers at institutions such as the British Antarctic Survey, the Australian Antarctic Division, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Parties and governance

Governance is exercised through a Meeting of the Parties composed of state parties including Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay. The Agreement is supported by an Advisory Committee comprising experts from institutions such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Conservation (New Zealand), the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute. A small Secretariat, hosted in Hobart, manages administration and liaises with conventions such as the United Nations Environment Programme and agencies like the Global Environment Facility.

Conservation measures and action plans

The Agreement promotes mitigation measures developed in concert with fisheries regulators such as the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Action Plans involve stakeholders including BirdLife International, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and national agencies like the Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand) and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. Technical measures endorsed include best-practice bycatch reduction techniques tested by researchers at the University of Cape Town, the University of Tasmania, the University of Auckland, and the University of Washington and guided by reports from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Species covered and distribution

Species listed in the Agreement include representatives from genera such as Diomedea, Thalassarche, Phoebetria, Pterodroma, and Procellaria, with species names recognized by taxonomic authorities like the International Ornithologists' Union and the IUCN Red List. Range states and islands include South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Falkland Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Macquarie Island, Prince Edward Islands, Gough Island, Chatham Islands, and national territories such as Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States jurisdictions. Distributional data are integrated with databases maintained by institutions like the British Antarctic Survey, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.

Implementation and compliance

Parties implement obligations through national legislation and policy instruments in jurisdictions including Australia, New Zealand, Chile, United Kingdom Overseas Territories, and South Africa, and coordinate with regional fora such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the International Whaling Commission on overlapping maritime issues. Compliance reporting is submitted to the Meeting of the Parties and evaluated by the Advisory Committee with input from organizations including the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Ocean Conservancy. Capacity-building assistance has been provided through partnerships with the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, and bilateral initiatives involving the European Union and Japan.

Research, monitoring, and data-sharing

The Agreement facilitates collaborative research programs linking the British Antarctic Survey, the Australian Antarctic Division, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, and universities such as the University of Cape Town, the University of Auckland, the University of Tasmania, and the University of Washington. Monitoring initiatives include satellite telemetry, banding, and at-sea surveys coordinated with projects by BirdLife International, the IUCN, the Global Seabird Programme, and national seabird monitoring schemes in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, and New Zealand. Data-sharing protocols align with repositories maintained by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and international committees including the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Threats and mitigation strategies

Key threats addressed include longline and trawl bycatch in fisheries managed by bodies such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna; invasive species on islands overseen by conservation programs on South Georgia, Gough Island, Macquarie Island, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands; habitat degradation linked to activities in territorial jurisdictions like Falkland Islands and Prince Edward Islands; and climate change impacts studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Mitigation strategies promoted include adoption of weighted branch lines, night-setting, bird-scaring lines tested by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand), eradication programs coordinated with Island Conservation, biosecurity measures used by New Zealand, and restoration projects implemented by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and BirdLife International partners.

Category:International environmental agreements