Drivers and barriers in the uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation measures and related conservation actions

One of the main objectives of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group is to help facilitate and support efforts to assess, mitigate and reduce seabird bycatch. To date, the mechanisms used by ACAP to drive the uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation have been indirect, through the provision of advice and resources on best practice mitigation, and as a source of knowledge on all things albatross and petrel.
Numerous case studies on mitigation uptake have been summarised, and several others are presented to SBWG9 as separate papers. The purpose of this paper is to inform discussion at SBWG9 to identify what the drivers and barriers in the uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation are, which are the most important drivers and barriers, and what interventions and approaches have been used to promulgate drivers or overcome barriers. A number of conclusions based on the case studies reviewed in this paper are provided.
This paper also identifies some potential mechanisms through which ACAP could drive increased seabird bycatch mitigation. These form a starting point for SBWG9 to develop recommendations to AC11 for actions that ACAP could take to achieve the ultimate goal of this process, improved uptake of seabird bycatch mitigation measures in those fisheries overlapping with albatrosses and petrels.
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Seabird Bycatch Working Group:
1. Consider the case studies reviewed in this paper, submitted in other papers under this agenda item, and identify other relevant examples.
2. Review the drivers and barriers of seabird bycatch mitigation uptake outlined in this paper and identify other drivers and barriers based on knowledge not captured by the case studies reviewed in this paper.
3. Consider which are the key drivers and barriers of seabird bycatch mitigation uptake that ACAP should focus attention on in order to facilitate increased uptake of effective seabird bycatch mitigation to achieve a favourable conservation status of ACAP-listed species.
4. Identify mechanisms that ACAP could use to promulgate drivers or overcome barriers to seabird bycatch mitigation uptake.