Toolbox for seabird bycatch mitigation advice in purse seine fisheries vers (2021)

It was agreed at SBWG9 to update a stand-alone toolbox to communicate the feasibility of mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch in purse seine fisheries. The present document presents a general context of purse seine fisheries, which has been under consideration since 2016 (SBWG7). A synthesis of the family of mitigation measures that have different alternatives for purse seine fisheries is presented, including: i) sensory, ii) physical barriers, and iii) structural modifications of the purse seine gear. In the last, ad hoc infographics are presented to communicate the sources of seabird bycatch by entangled and trapped individuals in purse seine gear, as well as audiovisual material that includes structural modifications as alternative for mitigation. Finally, the toolbox with alternative mitigation measures for purse seine fisheries is presented incorporating effectiveness to reduce seabird bycatch in general, as well as measures previously subjected to assessment for best practice criteria adopted by ACAP (e.g. SBWG8 Doc 21).

Note the statement in this document that "2.1 Purse seine fisheries for tuna have been recognized as non-problematic for seabirds, including mitigation as change in fishing practice (e.g. avoiding sets with non-target species) and entanglement prevention applied to cetaceans, sharks, and sea turtles (Swimmer et al., 2020)."