CCAMLR

Ministry of Fisheries observers reported 851 seabird captures from observed fishing operations in 2001–02: 324 from observed trawl fishing operations (87% landed dead); 167 from tuna (Thunnus spp.) longlining operations (87% landed dead); and 330 from ling (Genypterus blacodes) longline operations (93% dead). Observers recorded another 104 seabirds from unobserved parts of ling longline hauls. Observed squid (Nototodarus spp.) and hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae) trawl fisheries accounted for 87% of observed trawl-caught seabirds.
Demersal and surface longline fisheries had the highest incident rates (numbers of seabirds per observed fishing operation) in 2001–02, with seabirds reported caught from 26% of observed domestic tuna sets in northern waters, 22% of observed chartered Japanese longlines off the southern west coast of the South Island, and 10% of observed ling sets. About 1% of observed hoki tows in the main fishery areas had incidental captures, compared with 9% of observed squid trawls. Observed incident rates in at least seven other trawl fisheries ranged from Mean seabird catch rates were estimated for the main fisheries with observed seabird captures: for ling longlines mean catch rates ranged from 0.098 seabirds per 1000 hooks (s.e. = 0.020) in LIN 4 to 0.057 (s.e. = 0.012) in LIN 5; for hoki fisheries, 0.010 seabirds per tow (s.e. = 0.004) at the Chatham Rise to 0.023 (s.e. = 0.017) at the west coast South Island fishery; and for squid fisheries, 0.118 seabirds per tow (s.e. = 0.027) at SQU 6T and 0.163 (s.e. = 0.024) off the Stewart-Snares shelf.
Total estimates are provided for the main fisheries: 81 seabirds (c.v. = 4%) were estimated caught on chartered tuna longlines in southern waters; 20 seabirds (c.v. = 53%) were estimated from domestic tuna effort in southern waters; 1450 seabirds (c.v = 16%) were caught in ling autoline fisheries by area compared with 685 seabirds (c.v. = 13%) for the four observed vessels by area and season; 334 seabirds (c.v. = 33%) for hoki fisheries; and 710 seabirds (c.v. = 11%) for squid trawl fisheries at Stewart-Snares shelf and SQU 6T. Numbers are given for seabirds in total, rather than individual taxa, because of problems extrapolating by seabird species over a fishery.
In fisheries for which the observer coverage was Of the reported captures, 690 were returned for identification and represented nine albatross and eleven petrel taxa, one of which was previously unrecorded as caught during observed fishing operations: broad-billed prion (Pachyptila vittata). About 86% of the seabirds returned for identification comprised three taxa: 52% were white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis), 20% were white-capped albatrosses (Thalassarche steadi), and 15% were sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus).

Ministry of Fisheries observers reported 1236 seabird captures from fishing operations in 2000–01: 701 from observed trawl fishing operations (87% landed dead); 53 from tuna (Thunnus spp.) longlining operations (87% landed dead); 452 from ling (Genypterus blacodes) longline operations (99% dead); 26 seabirds from snapper (Pagrus auratus) longlines (100% dead); and 4 from bluenose (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) longline operations (75% landed dead). Observed squid (Nototodarus spp.) and hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae) trawl fisheries accounted for 94% of the 701 seabird captures in observed trawl fisheries.
Observed incident rates in longline fisheries were highest in the ling longline fishery: 24% of observed ling autoline sets caught seabirds, compared with 6% of observed chartered tuna longline sets caught seabirds, 15% of domestic tuna longlines, and 16% of snapper longlines. Lower incident rates were observed in the trawl fisheries: 8% of observed tows in the squid fishery, 4% in hoki, barracouta (Thyrsites atun), and scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) fisheries, and Mean seabird catch rates were estimated for the main fisheries with observed seabird captures: for ling longline fisheries, mean catch rates varied from 0.218 seabirds per 1000 hooks (s.e. = 0.033) in LIN 6 to 0.004 (s.e. = 0.004) in LIN 2; for chartered tuna fishery off the southern west coast of the South Island, 0.026 seabirds per 1000 hooks (s.e. = 0.008); for hoki fisheries, between 0.014 seabirds per tow (s.e. = 0.004) in the west coast South Island fishery and 0.037 (s.e. = 0.030) in the Puysegur fishery; and for squid trawl fisheries, 0.095 seabirds per tow (s.e. = 0.009) at the Stewart-Snares shelf fishery and 0.073 seabirds per tow in SQU 6T.
Total estimates are provided for the main fisheries: 16 seabirds (c.v. = 6%) were caught during chartered tuna longline sets, primarily off the southern west coast of the South Island; 757 seabirds (c.v. = 11%) were estimated caught by four autoline vessels when stratified by area and season compared with an estimated 2 367 seabirds (c.v. = 12%) for the six autoline vessels by area; 1065 seabirds (c.v. = 9%) were estimated caught during hoki targeted trawls; and 586 seabirds (c.v. = 11%) were estimated caught during squid trawls. Numbers are given for seabirds in total, rather than individual taxa, because of problems in extrapolating by seabird species over a fishery.
In fisheries for which the observer coverage was Apart from one black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus), the remaining 1045 seabirds observed caught and returned for identification represented nine albatross and thirteen petrel taxa. These taxa included three previously unrecorded as caught during observed fishing operations: Buller’s shearwater (Puffinus bulleri), fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia), and short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris). White-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis), sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus), grey petrels (Procellaria cinerea), white-capped albatrosses (Thalassarche steadi), and Salvin's albatrosses (T. salvini) accounted for 92% of the seabirds landed dead and returned for autopsy.

Industrial longline fisheries are considered worldwide as the main threat to albatross and petrel populations, particularly at open oceans. However, inside countries’ EEZ artisanal fleets account for a significant fishing effort and eventually, could represent a major threat to albatrosses and petrels than industrial fishing. Here we described the fishing technique and provide the first assessment of incidental mortality for the artisanal fleets for Austral hake and Patagonian toothfish in southern Chile, which accounts for 0.9 and 20 millions hooks/year, respectively. Both fleet use vertical longlines that sink fast: 0.33 and 0.69-0.22 m?sec-1 in the hake and toothfish longlines, respectively. Accordingly, seabird by-catch was 0.030 birds/1000 hooks in the Austral hake fishery, mainly accounted by birds caught during the slow process of hauling. The overall by-catch rate in the Patagonian toothfish was 0.047 birds/1000 hooks. Considering the big fishing effort deployed by the artisanal toothfish fleet, some recommendations are giving in order to improve fishing compliance with today high conservation standards.

Research undertaken in New Zealand on seabird interactions with fisheries, and research into the population status and distribution at sea of New Zealand seabirds is documented.

A brief report for IMAF on the Southern Seabirds Solution visit to Reunion Island in 2004.

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) entered into force on Sunday 1 February 2004. Six countries (Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Spain, the Republic of South Africa, and the United Kingdom ) have ratified the Agreement, and another five have signed it (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France and Peru). ACAP is expected to provide a major boost for the conservation of threatened seabirds. The first Meeting of the Parties is to be held in Hobart, Australia, on 10—12 November 2004. The agenda for this meeting is prescribed under Article VIII of the Agreement, and will principally address administrative matters. Issues to be discussed include adoption of rules of procedure; determining financial arrangements, a scale of contributions and a budget; establishment of a Secretariat for the Agreement; establishment of an Advisory Committee to provide expert advice to the Parties; and adoption of criteria to define emergency situations that require immediate action.

Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans are globally threatened due to population declines and the Macquarie Island breeding populations is particularly vulnerable as it comprises fewer than 20 breeding pairs. Most breeding birds in this small population are banded and monitoring over the last 40 years has increasingly focused on their conservation status. Demographic trends of the Macquarie Island Wandering Albatrosses between 1955 and 2003 are described here, combining historical data with information from an intensive demographic study conducted between 1994 and 2003. Annual breeding effort and survival varied markedly with breeding numbers declining from a peak in 1964 to near extinction levels in the mid 1980’s. Underlying this decline was a significant decrease in juvenile survival and, to a lesser extent, adult survival. These survival changes were coincident with changes in fishing effort in the eastern Indian Ocean. Breeding numbers slowly increased on Macquarie Island through the 1980s, reaching 19 breeding pairs in the mid 1990s and the population remains at this level today. Trends in population numbers and survival are similar to that observed in other populations in the Indian Ocean including Marion Island, Iles Crozet and Amsterdam Island. The age distribution of the current breeding population also provides supporting evidence that there were periods of low juvenile survival. Although the current population has remained stable at approximately 19 breeding pairs for the last seven years, the small size makes it extremely vulnerable to any activities that elevate mortality rates.

1. While Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often established to protect threatened top-order predators, there is a paucity of data that can be used to evaluate their efficacy in achieving this purpose.
2. We assessed the effectiveness of a network of MPAs around Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean by examining the foraging areas of black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses that were breeding on the Island.
3. During late incubation and brood periods over 90% of time spent foraging by black-browed albatrosses Thalassarche melanophrys was contained within MPAs, principally the Economic Exclusion Zone around Macquarie Island. In contrast, grey-headed albatrosses (T. chrysostoma) spent on only 34 % of their time foraging in MPAs.
4. Black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses spent 30 % and 15 % of their respective foraging time in the Marine Park around Macquarie Island.
5. Both black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses foraged in Antarctic waters under the jurisdiction of CCAMLR, accounting for 5% and 12% of the total foraging time respectively.
6. There was significant spatial overlap in the areas utilised by black-browed albatrosses and a licensed trawl vessel operating within 200nm of Macquarie Island.
7. The spatial extent of MPAs around Macquarie Island appear to adequately cover much of the foraging distribution of breeding black-browed albatrosses from Macquarie Island; however, most of this was in the EEZ not covered by the Macquarie Island Marine Park.
8. Grey-headed albatrosses spend significantly more time in waters outside the spatial extent of these areas and are at higher risk from fisheries activities and other threats.
9. Further information on albatross movements is required to assess the efficacy of MPAs in protecting foraging habitats outside of the breeding season.

Black-browed (Thalassarche melanophrys) and grey-headed (T. chrysostoma) albatrosses are globally threatened seabirds that breed on remote subantarctic islands. Population trends of black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses breeding on Macquarie Island were described using historical data in conjunction with data from a more intensive ten year monitoring program. Survival estimates were also calculated for both species over similar time frames. Breeding numbers and survival rates of black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses appear to have remained relatively stable since the mid 1970s. There was no conclusive evidence of survival varying over time and it is unlikely that these populations have been impacted significantly by extra mortality due to fisheries activities. This is in contrast to most other subantarctic populations of these species and may be attributed to their foraging ranges not overlapping significantly with areas of high fisheries activities. However, both species forage in areas of new and expanding legal and illegal fishery operations. Due to their extremely small size, these populations remain chronically vulnerable to any elevated levels of mortality

We briefly summarize the available literature (17 documents) on the nature of seabird interactions with trawl gear, efforts to date on the development of technologies to prevent these interactions, and management imperatives affecting the Alaska trawl fleet. We also summarize available literature on cooperative research with the fishing industry (2 documents). The purpose of this review was to bring this emerging issue in seabird conservation to the attention of the fishing industry and fishery managers, and to inform the process of developing appropriate mitigation technologies for the Alaska fleet.