Albatross in Japanese language is アホウドリ (Ahoudori) which means stupid birds. It seems like albatrosses are easily catchable in the land and they need to run first before flying. In China, albatrosses are sort of stupid as well, becuase it was common to think that the albatrosses ate fish that other seabirds let fall, thus Chinese imagined that albatross believed in fish rain!
Poor albatross, they are laughing stock of the all birds. So now they need to be more clever. But, it's maybe too late, albatross species face extinction unless urgent action. Now let's laugh more, just not to cry.
It is said that 100.000 albatrosses are being killed on hooks meant for fish each year, that is, by human. Easy solution to apply to every vessel: last year Japanese tuna boats fishing in New Zealand waters had to introduce measures to reduce their seabird by-catch. Deaths were cut from 4,000 to just 12. Will all apply? Other practical solutions include bird-scaring devices, weights and underwater setting tubes to keep lines beyond the reach of birds, dyeing bait an unappetising blue, and fishing at night.
But by-catch isn't the only problem. The albatrosses are threatened by pollution, by introduced species such as rats and feral cats that attack eggs, chicks and nesting adults. Well let's get to the point, it's all about caring, like everything. Specially when we're talking about vulnerable lives, like albatrosses. For a bird with an extremely slow rate of reproduction, one chick every two to three years, even relatively small losses to longlining could endanger its survival. I hate to be the one to say it, but we don't care about no-matter-where-multiple-reproducing-animal cockroaches, do we? I wonder if cockroaches come to an end someday. I don't think so. Hope albatross doesn't likewise.
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