Five Action Areas for the Conservation of the Waved Albatross

The Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) is classified as Critically Endangered due to persistent loss from artisanal and industrial fishing paired with a single, isolated breeding location on Española, Galápagos, Ecuador. The Waved Albatross Plan of Action (WAPOA) was developed to provide information and tangible actions to improve the conservation status of the species. Through ongoing discussions and assessments of the Plan’s implementation (see Joint SBWG12/PaCSWG8 Inf 03) several needs have emerged including revising the priorities, identifying lead organisations, defining key steps to achieve expected outcomes, and securing funding. Motivated by the Indianapolis Zoo Saving Species Challenge, we collated what is known about the species, identified gaps in knowledge, and developed a funding proposal with the target of making progress to improve the species’ conservation status – ‘moving the needle’ – within a 5-year timeframe. Here, we describe five principal action areas that emerged from our assessment of what is known about the species, progress to date on conservation actions in the WAPOA, and an abbreviated horizon scan of future potential threats. These areas include: 1) conservation knowledge and engaging stakeholders, 2) habitat suitability and insurance populations, 3) measuring overlap of albatross and fisheries, 4) tracking population trajectory as a metric of progress, and 5) recognising the potential role of MPAs in albatross protection. We share this here to spark renewed discussion and engagement in the active conservation of this ACAP species.