The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels is a legally binding international treaty signed in 2001. It was created in order to halt the decline of seabird populations in the southern hemisphere, particularly albatrosses and procelarids, which are threatened by introduced species on their breeding islands, pollution and being taken as by-catch by long-line fisheries (which kills more than 300,000 seabirds a year). The Agreement requires measures be taken by signatory governments to reduce by-catch (by the use of mitigation measures), protection of breeding colonies and control and removal introduced species from breeding islands. Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Seabirds are birds that spend much of their lives, outside the breeding season at least, at sea. ... Jump to: navigation, search Genera Diomedea Thalassarche Phoebastria Phoebetria The albatrosses are seabirds in the family Diomedeidae, which is closely allied to the procellarids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). ... Genera Several, see text. ... Sweet clover (Melilotus sp. ... Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ... Long-line fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line. ... A seabird colony is a site which seabirds visit to breed. ... Island restoration is the application of the principals of ecological restoration to islands and island groups. ...

The Agreement was the result of two meetings and was signed in Canberra in June of 2001 by 11 countries. It has subsequently been ratified by eight countries, Australia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, France, Peru and the United Kingdom. The treaty has also been signed but not ratified by another three countries, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. It came into force on the 1st of Febuary, 2004. Canberra is the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia and, with a population of just over 323,000, is also Australias largest inland city. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2004(MMIV) is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels