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The ‘Save the Albatross’ campaign was launched in response to the fact that many Albatross species are headed towards extinction. The Campaign is aimed at preventing the slaughter of these magnificent birds by ensuring that relevant international agreements that will benefit both the birds and the legal fishing industry are implemented. This program also works towards the conservation of albatross species through
research on trends in threatened populations, interactions between albatrosses and fisheries, and the
development and use of sea-bird safe fishing practices in the Southern Ocean.
The number of albatrosses at South Georgia has decreased at an alarming rate of 30% in the last 20
years. The population at Bird Island, which holds the largest numbers of this species at South Georgia,
has decreased from 1,500 pairs 20 yrs ago to 800 pairs today. Albatross live to an average of 60 yrs,
they mate for life and lay only one egg every breeding season. Due to unsustainable fishing practices,
thousands of these magnificent birds die each year. The future for South Georgia albatrosses is grim and
actions must be taken to reduce mortality to ensure the survival of these spectacular sea birds.
Planeterra Donation
2007: Throughout the 2007 Antarctic season, travellers aboard the M/S Explorer donated $25,000 in support of the Albatross Campaign. After witnessing the beauty of these birds first hand and learning of their threat of extinction, our travellers were moved to do something about it. A big thank you to our ship staff and G.A.P Adventures travellers as the money raised will help fund scientific researchers in a fishery-by-fishery attempt to identify and end the sources of mortality of South Georgia albatrosses.
To help support this project please donate now
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