Seabirds

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 (September 2024)

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:

 

Seabirds

3-Alpha Code Name Scientific Name
--- CORY'S SHEARWATER Calonectris borealis
ALZ ALBATROSSES NEI Diomedeidae
BIZ BIRD (UNIDENTIFIED)
BWR BOOBIES NEI Sula spp
BXJ FRIGATE BIRDS NEI Fregatidae
CSK GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua
CZE CAPE VERDE SHEARWATER Calonectris edwardsii
DAC CAPE PETREL / PIGEON Daption capense
DAM AMSTERDAM ALBATROSS Diomedea amsterdamensis
DAQ SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS Phoebastria albatrus
DBN TRISTAN ALBATROSS Diomedea dabbanena
DCR ATLANTIC YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche chlororhynchos
DCU SHY ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche cauta
DER CHATHAM ALBATROSS Thalassarche eremita
DIB BULLER'S ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche bulleri
DIC GREY HEADED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche chrysostoma
DIM BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche melanophris
DIP SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS Diomedea epomophora
DIQ NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS Diomedea sanfordi
DIW GIBSON'S ALBATROSS (sub species of Antipodean Albatross) Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni (or D. gibsoni)
DIX WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans
DIZ LAYSAN ALBATROSS Phoebastria immutabilis
DKN BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS Phoebastria nigripes
DKS SALVIN'S ALBATROSS Thalassarche salvini
DQS ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis
DSQ MASKED BOOBY Sula dactylatra
EBQ BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster
FGZ B/W BELLIED STORM PETRELS NEI Fregetta spp
LDO KELP GULL Larus dominicanus
LHX SEAGULLS NEI Larus spp
LRD GULLS - TERNS AND SKUAS Laridae
MAH HALL'S GIANT PETREL (or NORTHERN GIANT PETREL) Macronectes halli
MAI ANTARCTIC GIANT PETREL (or SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL) Macronectes giganteus
MBX GIANT PETRELS NEI Macronectes spp
n/a GREY-BACK STORM PETREL Garrodia nereis
n/a COMMON DIVING PETREL Pelecanoides urinatrix
n/a MOLLYMAWKS Thalassarche spp
PCI GREY PETREL Procellaria cinerea
PCN SPECTACLED PETREL Procellaria conspicillata
PCW WESTLAND PETREL Procellaria westlandica
PDM GREAT-WINGED PETREL Pterodroma macroptera
PFC FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER Ardenna carneipes (was Puffinus carneipes)
PFG SOOTY SHEARWATER Ardenna grisea (was Puffinus griseus)
PFT SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER (MUTTONBIRD) Ardenna tenuirostris (was Puffinus tenuirostris)
PFZ WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER Ardenna pacifica (was Puffinus pacificus)
PHE LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS Phoebetria palpebrata
PHU SOOTY ALBATROSS Phoebetria fusca
PQW SHEARWATERS NEI Ardenna spp
PRK PARKINSON'S (or BLACK) PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni
PRO WHITE-CHINNED PETREL Procellaria aequinoctialis
PRX PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS NEI Procellariidae
PTZ PETRELS NEI Procellaria spp
PWX PRIONS NEI Pachyptila spp
SZV BOOBIES AND GANNETS NEI Sulidae
TQH INDIAN YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche carteri
TQW CAMPBELL ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche impavida
TWD NEW ZEALAND WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS (or MOLLYMAWK) Thalassarche steadi
UIM BALEARIC SHEARWATER Puffinus mauretanicus
WTP TAHITI PETREL Pseudobulweria rostrata