Bonn, 4 May 2015 - Ross was awarded Best Doctoral Thesis in the Science Faculty at the University of Cape Town in 2007 and won third place in the United Nations/Convention on Migratory Species international thesis competition. Ross is the Africa Coordinator for the BirdLife International Marine Programme and the Seabird Conservation Programme manager for BirdLife South Africa.

He works to have resolutions adopted for seabird conservation in multilateral bodies, such as AEWA and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).  He leads the South African Albatross Task Force team which has been in the forefront of implementing seabird bycatch mitigation measures in various fisheries, and proving that they can be practical, effective and affordable. Ross has also initiated some large-scale, conservation efforts for the African Penguin, and more broadly for seabirds and the marine ecosystem that are at risk from low-trophic-level fisheries impacts. The work he has done with AEWA is a key part of taking local knowledge and science and translating that into conservation actions elsewhere in Africa where fisheries and seabirds are in conflict.
 

Ross says: “I am passionate about birds, birding and conservation. But seabirds are, to me, the most amazing group and I’ve dedicated much of my career to their study and conservation. However many seabirds that occur in South Africa are suffering huge conservation problems and had no international ‘home’ to really drive conservation efforts forwards. That was until AEWA stepped into the breach and listed many of our iconic seabirds, and those from the tropics which were also ‘flying below the radar’.”

Ross says: “I am passionate about birds, birding and conservation. But seabirds are, to me, the most amazing group and I’ve dedicated much of my career to their study and conservation. However many seabirds that occur in South Africa are suffering huge conservation problems and had no international ‘home’ to really drive conservation efforts forwards. That was until AEWA stepped into the breach and listed many of our iconic seabirds, and those from the tropics which were also ‘flying below the radar’. The AEWA approach and opportunities are best encapsulated in the multi-species action plan workshop that we held in Namibia in 2014. The willingness of everyone to participate, the congenial spirit of the participants, and the opportunity to get international support for Benguela-endemic seabirds, is a great example of how collaborations should be!”