Rationale
(Changed due to Genuine (recent))
The global population of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos is estimated to be undergoing a continuous decline of greater than 50% over a 71 year (three generation period), satisfying criterion A4 for classification as globally Endangered. In addition, the species has an AoO of less than 500 km2 and breeds at less than 5 locations (namely the islands of the Tristan da Cunha group in the Atlantic). The species occurs in large numbers in South African territorial waters. The global status of Endangered is also adopted as the regional status.
Distribution
The species breeds at the islands of the Tristan da Cunha group, including Tristan, Gough, Nightingale, Inaccessible, Middle and Stoltenhoff islands (ACAP 2009) dispersing widely across the south Atlantic and south-west Indian oceans (Tickell 2000). Distribution in the Indian Ocean is however little known due to confusion with Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross. Individuals have been recorded at Amsterdam Island (Roux and Martinez 1987), off the Australian mainland (Reid and Carter 1988) and the Chatham Islands (Robertson 1975). The species is a common non-breeding visitor to the shallow shelf waters of South Africa, mostly off the West Coast (Huyser 2000). Vagrants have been recorded as far north as Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (Ryan 1997).
Population
The global population is estimated at c. 13 900 pairs, equating to c. 27 800 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2014). Crawford et al. (1991) provided a crude estimate of 15 000 birds in the austral winter and 10 000 in the austral summer over the South African continental shelf and shelf-break although this must now be lower given the declines in the global population since 1991. Confidence in the global population estimate is low.
Population trend
The global population is in decline (BirdLife International 2014). In 1974, the number of breeding pairs in the Tristan da Cunha group was estimated to be 16 000-30 000 (Tristan da Cunha Island), 4 500 (Nightingale Island), 100-200 (Middle Island), 500 (Stoltenhoff Island) (Richardson 1984) and 1 100 (Inaccessible Island) (Fraser et al. 1988). On Gough Island the population was estimated at c. 5 300 breeding pairs in 2000-2001 (Cuthbert and Sommer 2004). These data are now greater than 30 years out of date and there is considerable uncertainty around the overall population estimate. Based on population trend data from study colonies, it is highly likely that the overall population has declined since 1974. On Tristan da Cunha, a reduction of 80-89% was reported (Cuthbert and Sommer 2004). More recent data reports 40 pairs on Middle Island and 210 pairs on Stoltenhoff Island in 2010 (Ryan et al. 2011).
The recent global status change of Near Threatened to Endangered was based upon demographic models which predict decreasing populations at a rate of 1-3% a year at Gough and 5-7% per year at Tristan da Cunha (Cuthbert et al. 2003, Ryan 2005). There was a suggested decrease between 1989/1990 and 1999 at Inaccessible Island, although the observers noted that 1999 was possibly a poor breeding year (Ryan and Moloney 2000). Numbers breeding at a single colony on Nightingale Island fell from 3 000 pairs (Richardson 1984) to 1 000 pairs in 1999 (Ryan 2005). Confidence in this trend estimate is low due to the infrequency in counts and the low proportion of the population that has been surveyed (ACAP 2009). In addition, some colonies have only received single, crude estimates (ACAP 2009b). The confidence in the global population trend estimate is low.
Threats
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross is vulnerable to being caught and drowned on longlines and through interactions with trawl warps (Barnes et al. 1997, Bugoni et al. 2008, Petersen et al. 2009a,b). Survival at Tristan da Cunha is negatively correlated with tuna longline fishing efforts in the South Atlantic Ocean (Cuthbert et al. 2003). Off Namibia, the species is thought to be one of the most frequently killed seabirds in pelagic longlining and trawling operations (Ryan et al. 2002).
Conservation
Underway
The species is protected internationally under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels - Annex 1; the 2012 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species; as well as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Appendix II). Regionally the species is protected under the Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act, 1973 (Act No. 46 of 1973), the Marine Living Resources Act (Act No. 18 of 1998): Policy on the Management of Seals, Seabirds and Shorebirds: 2007 and the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries 2008.
Proposed
Compliance with regulations and mitigation measures, and more comprehensive data collection, especially with respect to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, is required.
Research
* Global population data is outdated, resulting in uncertainty about population size and trends. Current population estimates are urgently required, and frequent census data from the various breeding islands would improve confidence around population trend estimates.
* Juvenile survival estimates are limited and current adult survival rates are lacking.
