The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife International have joined together to create the Save the Albatross initiative that focuses on albatross protection and conservation. Their aim is to address the problem posed by longline fishing:
"100,000 albatrosses die each year on fishing hooks. They are being killed in such vast numbers that they can't breed fast enough to keep up. This is putting them in real danger of extinction." ~ Save the Albatross Website
You can lend your support to this conservation effort by making a donation to the Save the Albatross fund. The money you give goes towards purchasing equipment such as bird scaring devices (that discourage birds from diving for baited hooks) and helps to pay for teams of campaigners to educate fishermen as to how to protect albatrosses.
"This is a situation nobody wants. We already know the solutions; what is required now is determination by the international community to commit the modest resources to bring them into effect. Everyone has a part to play, from individual fishermen to the most senior environment ministers. Ordinary people can help: as consumers by choosing carefully what fish they buy, and as citizens by the pressure they can bring to bear on their politicians." ~Dr. Michael Rands, Director and Chief Executive of BirdLife International
