Revised National Plan of Action to reduce seabirds bycatch in Uruguayan fisheries (NPOA-Seabirds 2015)

Uruguay has recently revised the NPOA-Seabirds. The NPOA-Seabirds 2015 establishes the following mitigation measures. Vessels operating with pelagic longline: obligatorily use of I) night setting in combination with at least one of the following two measures: II) bird scaring line and / or III) weight ≥60g attached in the branch lines within 1m of the hook. Vessels operating with demersal longline fishing for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) and related species: i) Mammals and Birds Excluding Device (DEMA, i.e. drop lines with nets) or II) minimum weight on the line that ensures sink rate ≥ 0.3m/s at 10m depth, in combination with one of the following two measures: A) bird scaring line or B) night setting. In the event that other demersal longline or semi-pelagic fisheries start operating in the near future, mitigation measures are as follow: I) minimum weight on the line in combination with one of the following two measures: A) bird scaring line or B) night setting. The impact of the trawl fishery for Argentinean hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is currently under research. Under a precautionary approach, to reduce seabird mortality in trawl cables the use of the following mitigation measures is recommended: I) bird scaring line and II) reduce discards. In order to reduce the capture of birds on the net the following measures are recommended: I) cleaning up the net before setting and II) reduce the exposure time of the net on the surface of the sea.