Review of Seabird Status and Incidental Catch in Eastern Pacific Ocean Fisheries

IATTC Resolution C-05-01 on incidental mortality of seabirds recommends the implementation of the FAO's International Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-Seabirds; FAO 1999); the collection of all available information on interactions with seabirds, including incidental catches in all fisheries under the purview of IATTC; and for the Working Group on Stock Assessment to assess the impact of incidental catch of seabirds resulting from the activities of all the vessels fishing for tunas and tuna-like species, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, including an identification of the geographic areas where there could be interactions between longline fisheries and seabirds. This report is based on Documents SAR-7-05c, SAR-7-05b, and SAR-7-10 presented at the meeting of the Stock Assessment Review Working Group in May 2006. In its report, the Working Group noted that it did not review these documents at the same level as it did the documents on stock assessments of tunas.
Albatrosses and petrels have been identified as some of the most vulnerable species to bycatch in fisheries (Wooller et al. 1992; Brothers et al. 1999). Albatrosses, in particular, scavenge for food, and are attracted to the baited hooks during longline setting operations. The interaction of seabirds with fisheries (particularly those using longline gear) has become an international issue as demonstrated by the adoption of the IPOA-Seabirds, resolutions by regional fishery management organizations (CCAMLR, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, WCPFC), and mandatory mitigation requirements by CCAMLR and CCSBT. In 2004, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) entered into force; it identified fishery interactions as a key threat facing these seabirds, and recommended that collaborations with regional fishery management organizations be pursued to reduce fisheries interactions (ACAP 2004).
This report reviews the status and distribution of albatrosses and petrels that breed or forage in the IATTC Area defined under the Antigua Convention (an area extending to 50N and 50 S, bounded to the west by 150 W), and that are of known conservation concern or known to be vulnerable to bycatch, particularly in longline fisheries. Population sizes and status of albatrosses and petrels breeding or foraging in the IATTC Area are given in Table 1.