Birds

S’il a de la chance, l’oiseau n’est pas englué, n’est pas mitraillé, ne s’écrase pas contre les vitres des gratte-ciels, n’est pas désorienté pas les îlots lumineux des plateformes en mer, n’est pas ingéré ou décapité par une éolienne. L’oiseau est au carrefour des insecticides, des routes, des lignes électriques et de la déforestation. Les oiseaux mangent trop souvent des baies rouges de plastique et des fragments bleus de latex. La disparition progressive des oiseaux prive la Terre de ses plus belles musiques.

Today, when you eat tuna, you’re killing an albatross.

16 Nov 2011

Today, when you eat tuna, you’re killing an albatross.

Seabirds are victims of oil spills and other pollution. Plastic waste and ghost nets drifting in oceans are also threats along with invasive rodents on the shoreline. They are also victims of tuna fishing.

Urgent mitigation measures need to be taken by ICCAT to reduce by-catch of seabird populations such as albatrosses and petrels in tuna and tuna like species long-line fisheries. Recent worldwide estimates of seabird by-catch by long-line fisheries range between 160,000 and up to 320,000 each year of which a large proportion are albatrosses and petrels. It is estimated that the Japanese tuna fleet kills over 20,000 seabirds per year which seriously impacts albatross populations. According to a document presented to the Scientific Committee it is estimated that around 10,000 seabirds are victims of incidental catch every year within ICCAT’s zone of competence. Albatrosses are surface feeders and wait for the fishermen to throw out the fishing gear. Whereas petrels, such as white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis), plunge into the water depths to steal the bait, they become hooked, dragged along and eventually drown.

Lire la suite

Massive falls of the Robin in the North Sea

7 Mar 2011

Over 50 million migrating birds cross the North Sea twice a year. Birds that use stars for navigation purposes are considerably attracted to the illumination of offshore platforms. Over 7 species are particularly affected by this phenomenon in the North Sea. Impact is at its greatest when the night sky is covered by clouds; it leads to a total disorientation of the birds which circle for hours at night in the ocean around this false constellation which is in fact an offshore platform.

According to the report presented by The Netherlands to other Contracting Parties of the OSPAR Convention, one platform could be responsible for the death of 60,000 birds per year.

Lire la suite

(Français) Clôture à Bangkok

14 Oct 2004

Only in French.

Lire la suite

(Français) La Flèche n°29

21 Jun 1997

Only in French.

Lire la suite

(Français) La Flèche n°9

21 Jun 1989

Only in French.

Lire la suite

(Français) La Flèche n°6

1 Jun 1988

Only in French.

Lire la suite