In pelagic longline fisheries, seabirds may become hooked and drown when they take a baited hook. Mitigation of seabird bycatch aims to deter and prevent birds from taking bait, principally through the combined use of multiple techniques, including streamer (tori) lines, fast sinking, weighted branch lines, night setting and, most recently, hook shielding devices (i.e., HookPod). 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 and Best Practice Advice for Reducing the Impact of Pelagic Longline Fisheries on Seabirds (May 2019)
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
Species
| 3-Alpha Code | Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| ALZ | ALBATROSSES NEI | Diomedeidae |
| BIZ | BIRD (UNIDENTIFIED) | |
| BWR | BOOBIES NEI | Sula spp |
| BXJ | FRIGATE BIRDS NEI | Fregatidae |
| CDI | CORY'S SHEARWATER | Calonectris diomedea |
| CSK | GREAT SKUA | Stercorarius skua |
| 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 MOLLMAWK) | Thalassarche cauta |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| WTP | TAHITI PETREL | Pseudobulweria rostrata |