Short tailed albatrosses (stal) breed on islands in the north pacific ocean torishima mukojima senkaku islands and the hawaiian archipelago

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $389,154 Project Grant to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, a non-profit research organization, under the Endangered Species Recovery Implementation program (CFDA 15.657). The goal of this 3-year project is to improve the viability of the endangered short-tailed albatross (STAL) and decrease risks to its population. Key activities include: 1) Establishing a stable STAL breeding population on an island other than Torishima, which currently hosts 84% of the global STAL population but faces risks from volcanic debris; 2) Tracking STAL population trends to assess progress towards recovery objectives outlined in the species' recovery plan; and 3) Continuing banding of STAL chicks to determine their origin, genetic representation, and identify birds caught as bycatch in North Pacific commercial fisheries. This project builds upon previous efforts to implement high-priority recovery actions for the short-tailed albatross.

Torishima an active volcanic island hosts 84 percent of the global population of stal. IT is estimated 15 percent of stal breed on the senkakus located in politically disputed territory north of taiwan. These islands were last surveyed in 2002 and are currently monitored only by satellite imagery. Less than 1 percent of stal breed on mukojima and in the hawaiian archipelago combined. The aim of this project is to improve the viability of the stal and decrease risk of population level impacts. This project will address the following recovery tasks. Increasing the number of breeding colonies by establishing a stable population on an island other than torishima where the main nesting colony is subject to lava debris slides. Tracking population trends to assess progress toward recovery objectives outlined in the stal recovery plan. And continuing banding chicks to determine origin of birds genetic representation and identify those caught as bycatch in north pacific commercial fisheries. This project includes and builds upon previous efforts to address recovery plan priority 1 actions.