Review of Seabird Bycatch Data collection in tuna RFMOs

This paper reviews the data collection requirements of the scientific observer programs in the longline fisheries of the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (tRFMOs): the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The paper assesses the extent to which they fulfil the objectives for collecting seabird bycatch data identified at AC6, which is to characterise and quantify seabird bycatch within a fishery, to understand the nature of seabird bycatch, and to assess the effectiveness of seabird bycatch measures in reducing seabird mortality.