Thomas Peschak's Image

These birds – albatrosses and white-chinned petrels – were fatally attracted to the rich pickings of longline fishing boats. However, the display Thomas photographed actually illustrates a conservation success story. In 2017, there was a reduction in the number of seabirds caught and killed on longlines set by Japanese tuna-fishing boats in the waters around South Africa.

In longline fishing, baited hooks are trailed on lines through the water. When small seabirds pull the hooks up to the surface to snatch the bait, larger birds often hijack their efforts, sometimes hooking themselves and drowning. Improved fishing practices mean that, off South Africa’s coast, fewer birds now suffer this fate. Yet over 300,000 a year are still killed by longlines globally.