Seven countries signed a plan yesterday meant to save the albatross, those big seabirds with wingspans of up to 11-and-a-half feet. Australian Environment Minister Robert Hill said all 20 albatross species in the Southern Hemisphere would become extinct if steps weren’t taken to protect them. Australia, Brazil, Britain, Chile, France, New Zealand, and Peru have pledged to find ways to reduce the threats posed to the birds by pollution and fishing. The birds often get tangled up in long fishing lines, which are commonly used by poachers fishing for sea bass.
