In pelagic longline fisheries, seabirds may become hooked and drown when they take a baited hook, either during line setting or hauling. Mitigation of seabird bycatch aims to deter and prevent birds from taking bait, principally through the combined use of three techniques, including streamer (tori) lines, fast sinking, weighted branch lines and night setting. Alternatively, ACAP recommend the use of an assessed* hook shielding device (e.g., HookPod) or underwater bait setting device. Seabird bycatch in purse seine tuna fisheries is rare, while poorly described for gillnet tuna fisheries.
*ACAP (Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels) conduct a regular review of scientific literature dealing with seabird bycatch mitigation in pelagic longline fisheries. The review and resulting summary of Best Practice Advice can be found here: ACAP Review of Mitigation Measures and Best Practice Advice for Reducing the Impact of Pelagic Longline Fisheries on Seabirds (May 2023)
Handy species ID guides can be found here. For detailed information about seabird species affected by longline and purse seine fisheries, the following resources may be helpful:
- ACAP Data Portal - Albatross & Petrel species
- Avibase - World bird database - taxonomy, distribution, maps, links
- Birdlife International Data Zone - Species Search
- e-Bird - citizen science database - bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, trends
Seabirds
3-Alpha Code | Name | Scientific Name |
---|---|---|
ALZ | ALBATROSSES NEI | Diomedeidae |
DAM | AMSTERDAM ALBATROSS | Diomedea amsterdamensis |
MAI | ANTARCTIC GIANT PETREL (or SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL) | Macronectes giganteus |
DQS | ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS | Diomedea antipodensis |
DCR | ATLANTIC YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche chlororhynchos |
FGZ | B/W BELLIED STORM PETRELS NEI | Fregetta spp |
UIM | BALEARIC SHEARWATER | Puffinus mauretanicus |
BIZ | BIRD (UNIDENTIFIED) | |
DIM | BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche melanophris |
DKN | BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS | Phoebastria nigripes |
SZV | BOOBIES AND GANNETS NEI | Sulidae |
BWR | BOOBIES NEI | Sula spp |
EBQ | BROWN BOOBY | Sula leucogaster |
DIB | BULLER'S ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche bulleri |
TQW | CAMPBELL ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche impavida |
DAC | CAPE PETREL / PIGEON | Daption capense |
CZE | CAPE VERDE SHEARWATER | Calonectris edwardsii |
DER | CHATHAM ALBATROSS | Thalassarche eremita |
n/a | COMMON DIVING PETREL | Pelecanoides urinatrix |
--- | CORY'S SHEARWATER | Calonectris borealis |
PFC | FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER | Ardenna carneipes (was Puffinus carneipes) |
BXJ | FRIGATE BIRDS NEI | Fregatidae |
MBX | GIANT PETRELS NEI | Macronectes spp |
DIW | GIBSON'S ALBATROSS (sub species of Antipodean Albatross) | Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni (or D. gibsoni) |
CSK | GREAT SKUA | Stercorarius skua |
PDM | GREAT-WINGED PETREL | Pterodroma macroptera |
DIC | GREY HEADED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche chrysostoma |
PCI | GREY PETREL | Procellaria cinerea |
n/a | GREY-BACK STORM PETREL | Garrodia nereis |
LRD | GULLS - TERNS AND SKUAS | Laridae |
MAH | HALL'S GIANT PETREL (or NORTHERN GIANT PETREL) | Macronectes halli |
TQH | INDIAN YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche carteri |
LDO | KELP GULL | Larus dominicanus |
DIZ | LAYSAN ALBATROSS | Phoebastria immutabilis |
PHE | LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS | Phoebetria palpebrata |
DSQ | MASKED BOOBY | Sula dactylatra |
n/a | MOLLYMAWKS | Thalassarche spp |
TWD | NEW ZEALAND WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche steadi |
DIQ | NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS | Diomedea sanfordi |
PRK | PARKINSON'S (or BLACK) PETREL | Procellaria parkinsoni |
PRX | PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS NEI | Procellariidae |
PTZ | PETRELS NEI | Procellaria spp |
PWX | PRIONS NEI | Pachyptila spp |
DKS | SALVIN'S ALBATROSS | Thalassarche salvini |
LHX | SEAGULLS NEI | Larus spp |
PQW | SHEARWATERS NEI | Ardenna spp |
DAQ | SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS | Phoebastria albatrus |
PFT | SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER (MUTTONBIRD) | Ardenna tenuirostris (was Puffinus tenuirostris) |
DCU | SHY ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) | Thalassarche cauta |
PHU | SOOTY ALBATROSS | Phoebetria fusca |
PFG | SOOTY SHEARWATER | Ardenna grisea (was Puffinus griseus) |
DIP | SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS | Diomedea epomophora |
PCN | SPECTACLED PETREL | Procellaria conspicillata |
WTP | TAHITI PETREL | Pseudobulweria rostrata |
DBN | TRISTAN ALBATROSS | Diomedea dabbanena |
DIX | WANDERING ALBATROSS | Diomedea exulans |
PFZ | WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER | Ardenna pacifica (was Puffinus pacificus) |
PCW | WESTLAND PETREL | Procellaria westlandica |
PRO | WHITE-CHINNED PETREL | Procellaria aequinoctialis |