Albatross

Why don't anyone of us around give a thought to the environment we live around? How can poor little me make a mammoth size difference? The truth: Just your one unconscious act can make a life's difference. A few months ago I saw a BBC documentary ( BBC is a document worth watching. They put common environmental issues in a different perspective) on Albatross. As we know Albatross are really huge birds with a large wing span (around 3 to 3.5 meters). They are know enlisted as endangered species.

Out of the 20 species, 12 breed on New Zealand islands. Out of this 12, seven are endemic to New Zealand, which means they only breed on New Zealand islands and nowhere else in the world. Because so many albatross species live and breed in New Zealand waters and islands, New Zealand is known as the ‘Albatross Capital of the World’. This is a cool title. Albatrosses need protection from fishing, otherwise some species may become extinct and New Zealand would lose its title and that would be disastrous.

They are killed by the fishing method "longlining". Longline fishing boats unwind long lines off the back of the boat. Each line has hundreds of hooks with squid bait.

How do albatrosses get caught?

The albatrosses are attracted to the fishing boats because they know they can get a free feed. They try to take the squid from the hooks to eat. Sometimes they are successful and eat the squid. But a lot of the time the hook gets caught in their beak and they are pulled under water and drown.

The corks or items of general use which we toss in the sands of the beach attract these creatures thinking that it is their source of food. They feed these things to the young ones and they die due to indigestion. Researchers at the cost of New Zealand found the almsot decomposed corpse of the little birds. From their guts they retrieved all the indigested things which none of us will even imagine. They held up various objects like toothbrushes, corks, small tin caps, hooks, nail manicure sponges etc. All the things people are just likely to throw without even a backward glance. The one little can of soft drink we sip with just one little cork cap can kill a one little beautiful bird. THINK.

For more information see: http://www.kcc.org.nz/birds/albatross.asp