Broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, and The Volvo Ocean Race have teamed up to support BirdLife International’s Save the Albatross campaign.

During the Southern Ocean legs of the race taking place later this year, the Volvo crews will pass through some of the richest albatross waters in the world.

Sir David Attenborough, Vice President of the RSPB, said: ‘Albatrosses have survived in the harshest marine environments for 50 million years; more than 100 times longer than our own species. However, these magnificent birds are unable to cope with man-made threats, such as longline fishing.’ Up to 100,000 of the birds drown every year on the fisherman’s lines as first reported by veteran yachtsman John Ridgeway (YM September 2004)