Update on the seabird component of the Common Oceans Tuna Project

BirdLife International, through its local partner, BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), is implementing the seabird bycatch component of the Common Oceans Tuna Project. The overall aims of this component are to:
• ensure that the use of best practice seabird bycatch mitigation measures is enhanced and accelerated by fleets operating in critical fishing areas of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and;
• strengthen the capacity of national institutions to manage and conduct analyses of seabird bycatch data and the effectiveness of bycatch mitigation measures and facilitate a joint tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) assessment of the current bycatch mitigation measures contained in the relevant Conservation and Management Measures in tuna longline fisheries.
It is comprised of four elements:
1. National Awareness Workshops
2. Observer Training Workshops
3. Port-based Outreach Pilot Project
4. Global Tuna RFMO Albatross Bycatch Assessment (regional and global workshops)
This paper reports on activities since submission of the SBWG7 paper, and the planned activities of the project for 2017-2019.