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The regional population of Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans has been quantified at c. 3 650 pairs that breed at two locations within the region namely Prince Edward Island and Marion Island. The global population is listed as Vulnerable due to past declines. In addition, the species satisfies the population criterion for regionally Vulnerable under criterion D2 (restricted to fewer than five locations within the region).
The species has a circumpolar distribution across the Southern Ocean, seldom venturing into continental shelf waters (Ryan 2005j). It breeds at 19 different sites including South Georgia, the Prince Edward Islands, the Crozet Archipelago, the Kerguelen Islands and Macquarie Island (ACAP 2009d). The three island groups in the Indian Ocean sector, namely Crozet, Kerguelen, and the Prince Edward islands, together account for approximately 82% of the global population. Birds forage up to 4 000 km away from breeding colonies and foraging strategies change throughout the breeding season (Weimerskirch and Jouventin 1998). Birds ringed at South Georgia, Marion Island and Crozet Island have been recovered in South Africa (Morant et al. 1983, Weimerskirch et al. 1985). Post-breeding adults from South Georgia initially head north to forage, later turning east to South African waters (Prince et al. 1998). Some birds stay close to the African continent while others continue eastwards to Australia.
The global population of the Wandering Albatross has been quantified at c. 16 000 mature individuals (ACAP 2009e). Approximately 7 000 mature individuals, or 44% of the global population, breed on the Prince Edward Islands with c. 1 850 pairs breeding on Marion Island (2007) and c. 1 800 breeding pairs on Prince Edward Island (2009), respectively (Ryan et al. 2009a). The total number of birds on the Prince Edward Islands is c. 3 650 pairs. The confidence in this regional population estimate is high.
Globally, long-term population studies have been conducted on all five island groups where this species breeds. All populations have shown decreases over the past 25 years (ACAP 2009e). On a regional basis, the well-monitored Marion Island sub-population decreased at roughly 1.5% per year from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, to reach a level of c. 1 500 pairs. This downward trend reversed from the late-1980s through to around the new millennium at a rate of 5.5% per year, peaking at c. 1 800 pairs (Nel et al. 2002a,b, Ryan et al. 2009a). The overall rate of population increase since 1975 has been less than 0.5% per year (ACAP 2009e) although breeding success has fallen from an average of 74.6% between 1985 and 2001 (Nel et al. 2003) to 67.7% in 2002-2007. Long-term census data have not been collected on Prince Edward Island but trends are thought to mirror those of Marion Island (Nel et al. 2002a, Ryan et al. 2009a). The confidence in this population trend estimate is high.
The primary threat to the Wandering Albatross is incidental mortality sustained during interactions with longline vessels (Nel et al. 2002b). A decline in the global population in the mid-1980s was linked to an increase in longline fishing operations targeting Southern Bluefin Tuna Thunnus maccoyii in the Southern Ocean (Nel et al. 2002b). Despite the implementation of technologies aimed at reducing bycatch, this species is still captured in high-seas longline fisheries, and any changes in longline fishing effort or spatial distribution could bring about a renewed threat to the Wandering Albatross. The longer-term effects of demographic skews in bycatch rates may also retard recovery (Ryan and Boix-Hinzen 1998, 1999, Mills and Ryan 2005). However, it should be noted that this species is very seldom killed in the South African longline fishery (Petersen et al. 2009a), and the primary area of concern is from vessels fishing on the high seas. Low levels of predation on albatross chicks by House Mice Mus musculus on Marion Island is a recent phenomenon and constitutes an emerging threat (Wanless et al. 2007, Jones and Ryan 2010). There are no known threats at Prince Edward Island itself. The secondary ingestion of marine debris, such as discarded hooks, can have an impact on chicks (Nel et al. 2002c).
BirdLife South Africa's Albatross Task force is actively researching new technologies to reduce incidental mortality in fisheries. It also monitors observer data and estimates annual bycatch in selected fisheries and promotes the development and enforcement of best-practice to reduce incidental mortality. It supports the construction and distribution of devices such as Bird Scaring Lines for fishing vessels. BirdLife International is actively lobbying regional fisheries management organisations, particularly the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, to improve the conservation measures required of longline fishing vessels. It is also supporting moves to create regional observer programmes, and strengthen observer data collection and reporting procedures.
In 2011, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna passed a resolution requiring the use of two out of three proven measures to reduce seabird bycatch in all longline vessels fishing south of 25°S. This was followed in 2012 by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission with a near-identical measure. South Africa requires that longline vessels flagged to them or fishing under joint-venture agreements in the Exclusive Economic Zone use all three of the above measures, although compliance with line-weighting requirements is equivocal.
Regionally, the Wandering Albatross receives protection in South Africa under the Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act, 1973 (Act No. 46 of 1973), Marine Living Resources Act (Act No. 18 of 1998): Publication of Policy on the Management of Seals, Seabirds and Shorebirds: 2007 and the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Reducing the Incidental Catch on Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (2008). The Prince Edward Islands are listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and as a Special Nature Reserve under the Environment Conservation Act (No 73 of 1989) and the Prince Edward Islands Management Plan 1996. The Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area was proclaimed in 2013.
Ongoing measures by BirdLife South Africa and BirdLife International, to improve pelagic longline fishing operations and reduce incidental mortality of seabirds should be supported and extended to distant fishing nations operating in the Southern Ocean. The South African Government should promote international best-practice for reducing seabird mortalities at bodies such as the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. Regional and national observer programmes and reporting of their data remain of paramount importance in understanding the scale of incidental mortality and potential effectiveness of (and level of compliance with) mitigation measures employed. Programmes to survey the sub-population at Prince Edward Island regularly and tracking birds to assess degree of overlap with various fisheries remain important tools for assessing and addressing the ongoing threats from fishery interactions. The eradication of the House Mouse from Marion Island is a priority.
* The effects of chemical oceanic pollutants on Wandering Albatrosses should be investigated. In particular, it is unknown if, and to what extent, pollutants affect Wandering Albatross breeding success and how the physiology (including characteristics such as hormones and body condition) of the species is influenced by such oceanic pollutants.
* Dispersal patterns and range of fledglings is imperfectly known. Questions pertaining to factors that influence young birds' survival during their immature years and the years prior to recruitment into the breeding population should be addressed.
* It is unclear how climate change may affect Wandering Albatross populations in terms of at-sea foraging and distribution, and in terms of behaviours such as timing of breeding and moulting.
* The extent and severity of predation upon Wandering Albatross chicks by House Mice, and the impact of reduced chick survival on the overall population should be investigated.