FISHING EQUIPMENT, MARINE DEBRIS AND HYDROCARBON SOILING ASSOCIATED WITH SEABIRDS AT BIRD ISLAND, SOUTH GEORGIA, 2007/2008

This report describes and quantifies occurrences of fishing gear, marine debris and hydrocarbons associated with seabirds at Bird Island, South Georgia for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. It is the fifteenth such annual report. As in previous years, the majority of items (84%) of marine debris and fishing gear (mostly hooks and lines from longline fisheries) were found in association with wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans, and very few in association with grey-headed Thalassarche chrysostoma and black-browed albatrosses T. melanophrys. Despite increased observer effort, a slight decrease was observed in the total number of items encountered (n=116) compared with the previous season. Two non-fatal entanglements involving a wandering albatross and a northern giant petrel Macronectes halli were observed, and in both cases the fishing gear was typical of that used in longline fisheries. There were no incidences of hydrocarbon soiling of seabirds during the reporting period.