The yachting teams have adopted a "Save the Albatross" campaign aimed at getting fishing fleets to implement cheap but effective measures to stop birds from getting hooked by longline fishing.
Baited with thousands of razor-sharp hooks on lines that can extend up to 130 kilometers (80 miles), trawlers tow these lines to catch stocks like tuna and Patagonian toothfish.
Seabirds scavenge behind, getting snagged and drown when they try and take the bait from the lines.
Simple measures could stop the killing, including towing bird-scaring lines (called "tori lines") with ribbons tied to them, using underwater setting tubes that ensure the line stays beneath the surface as soon as it leaves the trawler and tying weights so lines sink quickly.
Fishermen are also urged to dye their bait blue, as it puts birds off from eating it, and fishing at night, when albatrosses don't feed.
When the seven yachts left South Africa on Monday, they entered the second leg of the 32,000-nautical-mile global dash, racing from Cape Town to Melbourne in icy waters thick with danger including icebergs.
The decision to take up the plight of the albatross was an easy one, said Kelleher.
"There are so many similarities between us and these birds. For instance, the migratory pattern of the albatross is the same as the route that we are taking in the southern oceans," he said.
The "Save the Albatross" campaign has garnered a number of high-profile supporters including Britain's Prince Charles and Sir David Attenborough as well as around-the-world solo record sailor Ellen MacArthur.
Kelleher said the ultimate aim of the campaign was to put trainers on board longline fishing trawlers to carry out workshops.
Name: Wandering Albatross (
Diomedea exulans)
Primary Classification: Procellariiformes (Albatross, Petrels and Shearwaters)
Location: Southern oceans
Habitat: Open ocean
Diet: Squid, fish, octopus, cuttlefish and crustaceans
Size: Around 4.5 ft in length and 22 lbs in weight
Description: White plumage with black, wavy lines on neck, breast and upper back; back of wings turn black to white with age; long, hooked, yellowish-pink bill; large, webbed feet
Cool Facts: It has the longest wingspan of any living bird, nearly 11.5 feet in length. It spends most of its life in flight, sometimes not touching land for months at a time. It can cover around 2,000 miles in a single week.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Major Threat(s): Longline fishing
What Can I Do?: Visit
Save the Albatross for information on how you can help.
