Novel legal framework for mitigation of incidental bycatch for albatrosses and petrels in Brazil

The Brazilian government launched in 2014 a new longline fisheries regulation to reduce the seabird bycatch to a minimum level. The measures are a combination of weighted branch lines, bird scaring lines and night setting that should be applied simultaneously by authorized vessels to fish the target species in the area of territorial sea, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and south international waters 20º S. The mitigation measures have been established in two stages: the transient and the permanent. From November 2014 to April 2015, the transitional mitigation measures were in force. Since May 2015 the fishermen must comply with all mitigation measures in a permanent way. The former regulation launched in 2011 established the mandatory use of only bird scaring line and weight branch line. The Brazilian recent regulation is based on the National Plan of Action that aims to contribute to the long term conservation of albatrosses and petrels interacting with fisheries in the Brazilian territory and also meets the ACAP´s best practice mitigation measures.