Salvin’s albatross (Thalassarche salvini)

Species information

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Threats

The islands on which Salvin’s albatross occurs are fortunately free from introduced predators, but are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Albatrosses are notoriously susceptible to becoming entangled in fishing equipment whilst feeding on baited hooks or catch. Small numbers are known to be killed by tuna longliners in New Zealand waters, but this bird may also be exposed to longline operations elsewhere in the Southern Ocean. Gradual ocean warming as a result of global warming and climate change could pose a potential threat in the future, through impacting food availability for the birds (2).

Conservation

All the islands on which Salvin’s albatross occurs are nature reserves, with the exception of The Pyramid, which is privately owned. In 1998, the Snares and Bounty Islands were declared part of a World Heritage Site (2).