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