iccat seabird assessment and management
DESCRIPTION
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Paul de Bruyn, ICCAT Secretariat
Vigo, Spain
Structure
Background
Seabird assessment
Current management
Future initiatives
Background
2002 – ICCAT addressed FAO IPOA for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries – passed Resolution [02-14] (note: no longer active)
Urged member nations to implement national plans of action for seabirds
Encouraged them to collect and provide information on interactions with seabirds
Requested an assessment of the impact of incidental catch of seabirds resulting from the activities of all the vessels fishing for tunas and tuna-like species, in the Convention Area.
Sea bird assessment
Due to request formulated under Res [02-14] seabird assessment wasinitiated in 2007. ICCAT SCECO tasked with assessment Not an easy process –> 2007 – 2010 Methodology agreed – Ecological risk assessment ERA framework allows rapid identification of high-risk species and
impacting fishing activities
Challenges… catch data limited, species misidentification, previouslow observer coverage levels, additional workload for observers.
Conducted with strong input/collaboration with Birdlife Int.
Sea bird assessment
Primary objectives Identification of the seabird populations most likely to be at
risk from ICCAT longlining Collate available data on at-sea distribution of these species Analyze the spatial and temporal overlap between species
distribution and ICCAT longline fishing effort Review existing by-catch rate estimates for ICCAT longline
fisheries Estimate total annual seabird by-catch (number of birds) in
the ICCAT Convention area Assess the likely impact of this by-catch on seabird
populations
Sea bird assessment: Results (Tuck et al. 2011) Values (ordered by average score) for overlap score (ii), the product of the percentage seabird distribution and the average monthly ICCAT pelagic-longline hooks set per 5 × 5 grid square between 2000 and 2005, for the months of January and July, and the average over all calendar months.
Sea bird assessment
Based on combination of factors populations most at risk identified as wandering and black-browed albatrosses of South Georgia and the Atlantic yellow-nosed
Tristan albatrosses of Gough Island
Sea bird assessment
In addittion identification of;
Key data gaps (both fishery and seabird) Season of high catch Areas with high catch Potential fisheries with high catch
However…
Process tends to highlight fisheries that provide data as being highrisk whereas lack of data can be overlooked (although this can be addressed)
Initial ICCAT management
ICCAT SCECO also investigated methods for bycatchmitigation
Result… in 2007 the commission passed Rec [07-07]
RECOMMENDATION BY ICCAT ON REDUCING INCIDENTAL BY-CATCH OF SEABIRDS IN
LONGLINE FISHERIES
Rec [07-07]
Mechanisms to record seabird interactions
Provision of data on interactions by CPCs
Reduction of bycatch
Vessels fishing South of 20oS – carry and use tori-poles(LL for SWO exempt if fishing at night and achieve optimum sink rate of hooks)
Subject to review and modification (2008 meeting of commission)
Current ICCAT management
ICCAT SCECO made further recommendations based on seabird assessment
Update to Rec [07-07] made in 2011 based on new recommendations. Rec [11-09]
SUPPLEMENTAL RECOMMENDATION BY ICCAT ON REDUCINGINCIDENTAL BY-CATCH OF
SEABIRDS IN ICCAT LONGLINE FISHERIESS
Rec [11-09]
Record seabird incidental bycatch by species – through observer programmes – report annually. (See Rec [10-10]
Reduce by-catch via mitigation measures
All LL vessels fishing South of 25oS – use at least 2 mitigation measures.
Night setting with minimum deck lighting
Bird-scaring lines (Tori lines)
Line weighting
Rec [11-09]
Med – mitigation as in previous point is voluntary
Minimum technical standards defined for mitigation measures.
Specified standards for tori lines
Status of their NPOAs for Reducing Incidental Catches of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries.
ICCAT Rec. 07-07 will continue to apply in the area between 20oS to 25oS
2015 – revisit, re-evaluate measures
Future of ICCAT seabird management
As stated in Rec [11-09] – revisit/re-evaluate measures in 2015. Possible additional measures based on scientific advice.
SC ECO in 2015 - Review the efficacy of seabird by-catch mitigation measures [Rec. 11-09].
a) Review the extent that ICCAT mitigation measures reflect best practices.
b) Propose candidate indicators to evaluate the efficacy of mitigation measures.
c) Identify data insufficiencies.
Muchas Gracias
Moitas Grazas
Thank You