Between the 24th and 27th January 2011, I had the opportunity to take part in a workshop organised by the Chilean Environment Ministry to evaluate conservation actions for the Pink-footed shearwater Puffinus creatopus under the mark of the Agreement for Environmental Cooperation between Chile and Canada.
The workshop took place on Isla Mocha (38°23’S, 73°52’W), an island that is of great importance as it is not only the island with the largest breeding colony of Pink-footed shearwaters but also one of only two known breeding sites for this species (the other is also in Chile, in the Juan Fernandez archipelago).
The Pink-footed shearwater is a migratory seabird, dispersing along the eastern Pacific seaboard in both hemispheres, reaching as far as the coast of Canada in the north, where it over-winters.
Currently, this species is under threat as much at its breeding colonies as at-sea and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. On Isla Mocha depredation by introduced mammals (mainly rats and cats) and the loss of habitat are the principle threats. At-sea (in this case in Chilean waters) bycatch in purse seine fishing nets and on longline hooks are the most likely risk to the species.
During the workshop I represented the Chilean ATF team. Our participation was centred on presenting the known information relevant to large mortality events for the Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus and the Pink-footed shearwater in Chile. Such events have been recorded over the past two years when large numbers of these species have been found washed up on beaches in the central-southern zone in Chile (close to Isla Mocha).
The mortality of these species, at least in some cases, has included over a thousand animals and has been well documented by the press generating the attention of conservationists, biologist and the authorities involved in marine science.
The hypothesis is that artisanal purse-seine fisheries are responsible for these mortality events as the fishery is concentrated around the ports of Talcahuano (36°43’S, 73°06’W) and Corral (39°53’S, 73’25’W). Despite various statements from local fishers and scientific observers that support this suspicion, there is no official observer programme in place to monitor the fleets in question and their interaction with seabirds, which would provide the necessary information to describe and potentially mitigate the problem.
Therefore ATF Chile is including a monitoring programme within our 2011 work plan to record the interaction between this artisanal fishery and vulnerable seabirds. We hope to provide the first systematic and quantitative review of the issue. To do so, our first job is to contact and arrange at-sea trips through the local fishing companies to obtain coverage of the fishery across the seasons, especially the austral summer during the reproductive phase of the species.
Some of our first contacts and efforts to undertake this work was my visit to the workshop on Isla Mocha. Such multidisciplinary collaboration between different conservation institutions, national and international scientists and ornithologists, NGOs and the community of Isla Mocha are fundamental in advancing conservation initiatives. ATF has therefore contributed the first grain of support for this cause, but we have a long way to go!!