The rime of the modern mariner: evidence for capture of yellow-nosed albatross from Amsterdam Island in Indian Ocean longline fisheries.

Commercial fisheries currently pose a serious threat at sea to the conservation of a number of pelagic seabirds. However, these interactions are complex, and reports on population-specific bycatch in the high seas are scarce. Here we report the case of an Indian yellow-nosed albatross Thalassarche carteri re-sighted on Amsterdam Island after an apparent capture by an Indonesian long-liner, as indicated by a message attached to the bird. This record demonstrates that Amsterdam birds may interact with long-liners indeed, at least during winter, and that such interactions are not systematically lethal. We suggest that bycatch sub-lethal effects should be investigated at colonies with high risks of individual capture at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]