| 1980s | | Declines in albatross numbers first identified. Japanese fishermen design bird scaring lines to reduce loss of bait to seabirds |
| 1991 | | Magnitude of albatross bycatch problem is identified after studies carried out in Australia and the South Atlantic |
| 1997 | | The BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme is established, with headquarters in South Africa |
| 2000 | August | BirdLife International's Save the Albatross Campaign is launched at the British Birdwatching Fair |
| 2002 | January | HRH Prince Charles gives his formal endorsement to the Save the Albatross campaign at a reception in St James Palace |
| 2003 | | BirdLife International's review of global seabird bycatch rates reveal an estimated 300,000 birds are being killed each year, of which 100,000 are albatrosses |
| 2004 | February | The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) comes into force. This agreement means that countries must take specific measures to boost the protection of albatrosses and petrels |
| April | The UK signs the ACAP treaty after intense RSPB pressure |
| November | BirdLife International publishes Tracking Ocean Wanderers. This report highlights important albatross migration routes, foraging areas and regions where the birds are most at risk |
| 2005 | October | The Volvo Ocean Race adopts the Save the Albatross campaign. Ericsson skipper Neal McDonald says: 'You think you're on your own, then you realise you are playing in someone else's playground. Albatrosses are the ultimate ocean wanderers. We must save these magnificent birds from extinction' |
| December | Research confirms the massive scale of bycatch of South African albatrosses in longline fishing in the country's waters |
| 2006 | March | The first two Albatross Task Force members are appointed in South Africa |
| | The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission passes a requirement for all longline fishing vessels to use a bird-scaring streamer line when fishing south of 30 degrees south |
| September | The Brazilian Albatross Task Force is set up |
| | The Albatross Task Force Team in South Africa welcomes its third member - Barry Watkins. |
| November | In an exclusive interview for the Television Trust for the Environment's Earth Report series, HRH The Prince of Wales makes a passionate call for a worldwide effort to save the world's endangered albatrosses from extinction. |
| | The UK Government announce that it will be providing additional funding of £65,000 to go towards projects promoting the conservation of albatrosses and petrels in UK overseas territories. |
| 2007 | February | Great news as targets to cut seabird deaths are met early in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). A scheme to cut the number of albatross deaths around the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) at the hands of the longline fishing industry has been spectacularly successful and could create a model for how fisheries can reduce albatross deaths worldwide. Ten years ago, up to 90 albatrosses were being caught on longline fishing hooks every day in Falkland Islands (Malvinas) waters. Today, that figure has plummeted to just 16 birds, or fewer every year. |
| June | The Albatross Task Force begin work in Chile. |
| July | The Save The Albatross Campaign featured prominently in the BBC's series Saving Planet Earth. A programme in the series was dedicated to the plight of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) black-browed albatross, heavily featuring our work in Brazil. Funds raised by the series will go back into the project. |
| September | Due to the success of the Albatross Task Force, and its projected expansion into Argentina, Uruguay and Namibia, we welcome Oli Yates, who joins us as our dedicated Task Force co-ordinator. |
| November | The Atlantic Tuna Commission passes a requirement for all longline fishing vessels to seabird bycatch mitigation measures when fishing south of 30 degrees south |
| December | The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission passes a requirement for all longline fishing vessels to use seabird bycatch mitigation measures when fishing south of 30 degrees south and north of 23 degrees north |
| 2008 | January | The Albatross Task Force begin work in Argentina. |
| February | Bottom longline fisheries in New Zealand are now required to use bird streamer lines, set lines at night or use line weighting, and to avoid releasing offal during line setting in strengthened measures for reducing seabird bycatch.. |
| March | The Albatross Task Force start work in Namibia with the Namibian Nature Foundation. Seabird bycatch data from Namibia is almost non-existent, so the work of the two new instructors will provide much-needed data on seabird numbers in the area. |
| June | The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission strengthens its requirements for seabird bycatch mitigation measures south of 30 degrees south |
| September | New permit conditions come to force to limit seabird bycatch to 25 birds per longline vessel fishing for tuna and swordfish in South African waters | |
| | Expert consultation on Best Practice Technical Guidelines for IPOA/NPOA–Seabirds is held in Bergen, Norway |
| December | The Albatross Task Force begins work in Ecuador, with a single instructor working with the local BirdLife partner Aves y Conservación. This will provide crucial investigation into the bycatch of the waved albatross |
| 2009 | January | The First Albatross Task Force Instructors' Workshop is held in Coquimbo, Chile. Experimental mitigation projects are designed for each ATF country to separate mitigation myth from reality and provide robust evidence of mitigation measure efficiency in trawl and longline fisheries |
| | HRH The Prince of Wales is provided with an update on the success of the Albatross Task Force at a reception at Clarence House |
| March | The UN FAO Committee on Fisheries approves the Best Practice Technical Guidelines for IPOA/NPOA |
| May | Albatross Task Force experimental mitigation work begins to coincide with peak seabird abundance in six countries and eight different fishing fleets in southern Africa and South America |
| 2010 | March | The Namibian National Plan of Action – Seabirds is submitted to the Namibian Fisheries Ministry. The Global Seabird Programme provided significant input to the draft |
| | The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission increases the area in which seabird bycatch mitigation measures are required for longline vessels, to all areas south of 25 degrees south |
| April | Results of the first year of experimental mitigation research is presented to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels' Seabird Bycatch Working Group in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The ATF was recognised for the depth and detail of the work conducted to implement mitigation in seabird bycatch hotspots |
| June | BirdLife calls on the European Commission, Member States and the European Parliament to adopt and implement a robust and ambitious EU Seabird Action Plan that comprehensively follows the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Best Practice Technical Guidelines |
| October | The Inter-America Tropical Tuna Commission adopts requirements for seabird bycatch mitigation measures in the East Pacific |
| 2011 | April | The Second Albatross Task Force Instructors’ Workshop is held in Piriápolis, Urguguay. New priorities to refine Best Practice mitigation measures in each country are defined |
| May | New regulations are adopted in the Brazilian longline fleet on the back of experimental research conducted by the ATF. Regulations include line weighting specifications and mandatory use of bird-scaring lines |
| June | A global review on seabird bycatch in longline fisheries is published, indicating the extent of the impact world fisheries are having on vulnerable seabird populations |
| September | Albatross Task Force results are presented at the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels Seabird Bycatch Working Group in Ecuador |
| November | The Atlantic tuna commission (ICCAT) requires all longline vessels fishing south of 25S to use two seabird bycatch mitigation measures from a choice of birds streamer (tori) lines, night setting and line weighting. Vessels are also encouraged to use these measures in the Mediterranean Sea |