Developing best practice for assessing and managing impacts of fisheries bycatch on seabirds

Incidental capture in fisheries is one of the main threats to seabird populations. In 1999 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOASeabirds). It builds on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which aims to minimise negative impacts, particularly on endangered species, with use of selective gear. In 2009, the FAO adopted Technical Guidelines for the IPOA-Seabirds which recommend NPOAs also be extended to cover other relevant fishing gears, including trawls and gillnets.