Oil, marine debris and fishing gear associated with seabirds at Bird Island, South Georgia 1995/96

In the third year of standardised recording of oil, fishing gear and marine debris at Bird Island, South Georgia, one wandering albatross and two snow petrels contaminated with oil were reported. Ingested and regurgitated plastic debris were reported for wandering albatrosses (12 items) and grey-headed albatrosses (two items). One gentoo penguin chick was released from entanglement in a packaging band; another (uncut) band was found at a nest of a northern giant petrel. Parts of fishing gear were reported in association with grey-headed albatrosses (one squid jig decoy), black-browed albatrosses (one bird impaled with a long-line hook, another hook found at a nest) and wandering albatrosses (two squid jigs; six hooks swallowed and impaled (four in adults, two in chicks), the remainder being hooks and lines regurgitated beside nests). Levels of plastic debris in fishing gear associated with seabirds at South Georgia have returned to the levels recorded in 1993194, relatively few items having been reported in 1994195. The reduction in 1994195 probably related mainly to changes in the long-line fishing season. The evidence of discarding of plastic waste and the loss of long-line fishing gear, especially hooks, is a continuing cause for concern.