Royal News Prince Charles and Ellen McArthur In Save The Albatross
28 April 2005
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Royal News; Britain's Prince Charles has teamed up with record breaking round-the-world sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur to save the endangered albatross. The Prince of Wales attended the launch of Operation Ocean Task Force, a campaign group which is part of the Save the Albatross appeal run by BirdLife, with McArthur earlier this week to raise awareness of the issue.Charles, who earlier this month married long-term partner Camilla Parker Bowles, has been an avid campaigner for the protection of the aquatic birds which are facing extinction because of dangerous fishing methods that kill around 300,000 seabirds each year.The group is attempting to save the species by setting up a team of experts to work in hotspots round the world, training fishermen on how to prevent killing the birds. During the dinner, Charles gave a speech to the assembled guests stressing that time was running out for the magnificent birds and that new prevention techniques could substantially reduce the high number of deaths.He said: "It made me think that there is no greater symbol of man's lunacy than our excessive industrialised fishing systems, using lines stretching out 80 miles behind huge fishing boats which hook and drown 100,000 of these mysteriously unafraid birds each year.""I for one simply cannot sit here and do nothing while this inexcusable manmade tragedy goes on out of sight and out of mind."One of the techniques the Task Force wants to implement is the use of bird scarers - long coloured lines which when attached flap and scare the birds away - on the end of the boats.
Last month, the prince - who first developed a fondness for the birds during his time serving in the Navy - visited the Royal Albatross Centre in New Zealand, the only mainland breeding colony of the birds in the world.
She said: "The albatrosses fly alongside me - they would stay for hours and play about with the boat following it. It's important to be here tonight.
"The albatross is one of the most amazing birds in existence. It is truly breathtaking."
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