Progress report of Chilean research on albatross ecology and conservation

Two species of albatross breed in Chile, namely Thalassarche melanophrys and T. chrysostoma, and feed both in Antarctic waters and the South-eastern Pacific. Consequently they are subject to two different management regimes. This fact and the article XI of the CCAMLR Convention, suggests the need of harmonizing conservation measures in both areas. In this progress report we describe the main outcome of two research programs that are currently underway, which aim to establish if the effect of the long-line fishery is similar to that found in CCAMLR waters. The objective of this paper is to inform other CCAMLR members and observers these results in advance of scientific publications arising from these initiatives.