Best practices in assessing and managing seabird bycatch in fisheries

Bycatch (incidental mortality) in fisheries contributes to population declines in seabirds, particularly albatrosses and petrels. While there are examples of successful mitigation, bycatch of seabirds remains a problem in many fisheries globally. International and national interventions within existing management frameworks have been set up to better address seabird bycatch but with varying success. Over the course of the past six years, we have reviewed best-practice approaches to managing fisheries bycatch of seabirds and other marine vertebrates in order to develop a standard to evaluate the sustainability of fishing operations. The lessons learned from this project are provided through recommendations on development and implementation of an adaptive management approach to address seabird bycatch. Recommendations are made for action at different levels: managers of specific fleets and regional or international management bodies.