"Unless we act now, longlining will cause the extinction of the
black-footed albatross. The action we took today begins the
process of getting the bird listed under the Endangered Species
Act, which will protect the species far better than relying on
the good will of the fishing industry," said Paul Achitoff,
Earthjustice attorney representing the Center for Biological
Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network, the two
petitioning organizations. Achitoff added, "Unfortunately, we
have seen too little good will and too many dead albatross." The
black-footed albatross, a seabird that nests almost exclusively
in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with a small population
nesting in Japan, has a wingspan extending over six feet and
spends much of its life on the wing, scooping flying fish eggs,
squid and fish from the ocean surface. The birds also forage
along the western coast of the United States. Black-footed
albatross are fairly long-lived birds that have evolved a
successful life history somewhat analog