Incidental Take of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries

Nature of the Issue and Measures for Mitigation

Abstract

Longlining is one of the major fishing techniques used to capture pelagic and demersal fish. The incidental take of seabirds in longline fisheries has become a concern to fishing states, biologists, and conservationists in recent years. Most of the incidental take occurs during line setting, when sea birds are attracted to the baited hooks drifting near the sea surface astern of the fishing vessels. Large surface-scavenging seabirds (particularly albatrosses and large petrels) are caught in longline operations mostly in the temperate and subpolar waters. The issue first emerged in the Southern Ocean in the 1980s and 1990s, and management measures were considered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT). Measures to reduce the incidental take or bycatch of seabirds have been developed taking advantage of the behavioral characteristics of albatrosses and large petrels. The mitigation measures currently available include: 1) bird scaring devices using streamer lines, sounds and water, 2) increasing the sinking rate of baited-hooks by weighting them, 3) underwater setting of lines, 4) line setting at night, 5) decreasing the attractivity or visibility of baits, 6) control of offal and discards. Since most of the mitigation measures improve fishing efficiency by reducing bait loss to seabirds, fishers are ready to adopt a mitigation measure if it is safe and cost-effective. Fishing states are implementing outreach programs for education and enlightenment of fishers and of the general public as well as developing mitigation techniques. In 1999, the FAO promoted the International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries. In agreement with the FAO International Plan, and its Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, each fishing state is required to develop its own National Plan of Action and expected to make efforts towards reducing seabird mortality in fisheries, if those fisheries are causing incidental takes of seabirds. International efforts are also necessary to prevent and eliminate illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.