The Albatross and the Fish

by Doughty, Robin W.; Carmichael, Virginia; Charles, Prince of Wales; Croxall, John

• ISBN13: 9780292726826
• ISBN10: 0292726821
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-12-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

Breeding on remote ocean islands and spending much of its life foraging for food across vast stretches of seemingly empty seas, the albatross remains a legend for most people. And yet, humans are threatening the albatross family to such an extent that it is currently the most threatened bird group in the world. In this extensively researched, highly readable book, Robin W. Doughty and Virginia Carmichael sound an alarm over the potentially catastrophic extinction process that has gone largely unremarked by governments and fishing interests around the globe. Doughty and Carmichael authoritatively establish that the albatross's fate is linked to the fate of two of the highest-value table fish, Bluefin Tuna and Patagonian Toothfish, which are threatened by unregulated commercial harvesting. The authors tell us that commercial fishing techniques are annually killing tens of thousands of albatrosses. And the authors explain how the breeding biology of albatrosses makes them unable to replenish their numbers at the rate they are being depleted. Doughty and Carmichael set the albatross's fate in the larger context of threats facing the ocean commons, ranging from industrial overfishing to our habit of dumping chemicals, solid waste, and plastic trash into the open seas. They also highlight the efforts of dedicated individuals, environmental groups, fishery management bodies, and governments who are working for seabird and fish conservation and demonstrate that these efforts can lead to sustainable solutions for the iconic seabirds and the entire ocean ecosystem.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
Milestones: Albatross Encounters and Concerns	p. xvii
Storytelling	p. 1
The Albatross	p. 9
Plunder	p. 11
Science	p. 21
Connections	p. 44
Home	p. 51
Family	p. 60
Crossings	p. 79
Migration	p. 81
Globalization	p. 88
Commons	p. 102
Birds and Fish	p. 109
Fish	p. 111
Management	p. 116
Crisis	p. 127
Bycatch	p. 140
Sea Change	p. 147
Links	p. 149
Engineering	p. 156
Turning Point	p. 163
Agents of Change	p. 183
Fishers	p. 185
Governments	p. 199
Nongovernmental	p. 219
Trade	p. 228
Celebrities	p. 233
Capstone	p. 240
Conclusion: Hope	p. 247
Appendix: CCAMLR and Seabird Mortality	p. 253
Notes	p. 257
Bibliography	p. 268
Index	p. 293
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