Annual Working Group Report North Pacific Working Group

Submitted to Pacific Group, Executive Committee

February, 2020

North Pacific Albatross Working Group 2019 Annual Report

Background

The North Pacific Albatross Working Group (NPAWG) was established over 10 years ago out of concern for apparent increases in albatross bycatch among several North Pacific commercial fisheries and many ecologists were expressing concerns that mortality rates might be adversely affecting albatross populations. These issues prompted awareness and resulted in efforts by the NPAWG to facilitate the sharing of information among researchers and managers to foster collaboration and advancement in albatross conservation. Each year during the annual Pacific Seabird Group meeting, NPAWG convenes a meeting to enable resource managers, researchers, scientists and conservation management professionals with backgrounds in seabird ecology, albatross biology and ecology, fishery management, and all aspects of the science of albatross conservation, at one dedicated venue, to share updates on their work and to discuss known and emerging threats, actions being taken to address these, and advancements toward achieving conservation priorities. The receiving the majority of attention by NPAWG include the Short-tailed albatross, , and Black-footed albatross.

2019 NPAWG Meeting

The 2019 NPAWG meeting was held during the 4th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group on the island of Kauai. The meeting was a great success. We had nearly 30 enthusiastic attendees take part in discussions and information updates were delivered by 12 biologists on subjects ranging from national policy, population monitoring, demographic modeling, bycatch reduction measures and mitigation in US and foreign fisheries, regional issues, research initiatives, and emerging conservation initiatives. The meeting, inclusive of content presented and related discussions, easily consumed the entire 2.5 hour time allotment. Lots of discussion, questions, and dialogue stimulated by the presentations and informational updates enabled the group to stray productively into other relevant albatross-related topics and subject areas.

Going forward, as a group, we continue updating our contact information for working group participants those who simply wish to remain abreast of NPAWG activity. Last year, our information sharing platform (wiki) that has traditionally facilitated access to shared reference materials and current literature related to North Pacific albatross conservation was discontinued. In 2020, we are planning to work on setting up a new, longer-term platform where we can upload relevant content, especially “gray literature” and unpublished material that can facilitate access to current information and be used as a tool to strengthen collaboration. Enhancing the exchange of information and generating working discussion among participants throughout the year is important for NPAWG and helps facilitate collaborative exchange among core participants leading up to the annual working group meeting.

Summary

NPAWG wishes to thank the Pacific Seabird Group for continuing to recognize our working group as a vibrant and focused group of professionals with a diverse background in seabird ecology, fishery science, and conservation management. Each year we grow stronger because we work hard to bring the most current and compelling issues in albatross conservation to bear and work toward identifying challenges and achievements in a collaborative, forward thinking capacity.

North Pacific Albatross Working Group 2019 Annual Report

We look forward to an exciting meeting in 2020, during the 47th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group in Portland, Oregon, promoting our capacity to build on collaborative achievements, working initiatives and goals that have been identified as core themes and which, to a significant degree, will form the basis of the 2020 meeting.

Respectfully presented by:

Gregory Spencer, Chair North Pacific Albatross Working Group [email protected] and [email protected] (808) 269-6480 and

North Pacific Albatross Working Group 2019 Annual Report