Volvo Ocean Race To Support Save the Albatross Campaign

Created by doina. Last modified on 2005-10-17 20:51:56
Topic: Environment
Countries: Antarctica, Bouvetoya, Falkland Islands, French Subantarctic Territory, Heard, McDonald & Macquarie Islands, Marion &Prince Edward Island, New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, Subantarctic & Southern Ocean Islands

World-renowned broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, and The Volvo Ocean Race have announced their support for BirdLife International's Save the Albatross campaign.

Around 100,000 albatrosses a year - approximately one every five minutes - drown when taking bait from hooks suspended on longlines up to 130km long. As a result, 19 of the world's 21 species of albatross are now threatened with global extinction.

The Volvo Ocean Race has adopted the Save the Albatross Campaign, and during the Southern Ocean legs of the race taking place later this year, the crews will pass through some of the richest albatross waters in the world.

The RSPB, the UK partner of BirdLife International, has launched a website www.savethealbatross.net as part of the campaign to raise funds in support of Operation Ocean Task Force.

This exciting new initiative will place trained people on longline fishing vessels to show the crews simple and practical techniques to prevent seabird deaths. Hanging streamers near fishing lines to scare birds away, weighting lines to make hooks sink more quickly and dyeing bait to make it less visible to seabirds, are all extremely simple, yet proven, techniques to avoid the needless slaughter of albatrosses.

For more information visit:

www.volvooceanrace.org

www.savethealbatross.net/

http://www.rspb.org.uk/