Updating New Zealand's level two seabird risk assessment

New Zealand has made progress in reviewing and revising the seabird risk assessment that underpins its National Plan of Action (2013) to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in New Zealand Fisheries. A workshop was held in November 2013 to review the inputs and associated outputs of the level two seabird risk assessment for the taxa with the highest risk ratios. The workshop considered that various data inputs needed to be modified according to evidence provided, and that these changes to the inputs will likely result in changes to the risk scores for 17 of the 26 species considered most at risk.
The risk assessment is currently being updated using the modified inputs, and this paper will be revised once the results have been finalised.