Southern giant petrel  (Macronectes giganteus)

Between 1997 and 1998, an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 southern giant petrels were killed in illegal and unregulated longline fisheries for Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean (2). Other threats include a decline in the population of the southern elephant seal Mirounga leonine (an important source of carrion for the petrel), increasing disturbance by humans and persecution (2).

The southern giant petrel is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Monitoring programmes are underway at several locations and a number of its breeding colonies occur within nature reserves and World Heritage Sites. Proposed measures include continued monitoring, surveys of all of the major breeding sites and minimisation of disturbance at the breeding colonies. Furthermore, it has been suggested that all fisheries operating within the range of this species should adopt best-practice guidelines to minimise the risk of accidental by-catch of this petrel (2). As a result of this mitigation, populations of this magnificent bird around the world are now slowly increasing (8), and its IUCN Red List status has been amended to Least Concern (2).