Albatrosses Could Police the Oceans

Laysan Albatross Mother and Chick - Photo National Marine Sanctuaries

Now here’s a twist: researchers have found a way that Wandering Albatrosses could help detect illegal pirate fishing — and illegal fishing is a major killer of albatrosses. It sounds like the old saying: “Turnabout is fair play!”

A study fitted albatrosses with miniature detectors. After reviewing the data, researchers found that the albatrosses found boats with radar turn off, a safety violation, but often done by pirate fishers to avoid detection.

Will albatrosses be recruited to detect criminals? Read the details in this article from the BBC.

Scroll to Top