Mortality Threats to Birds - Longline Fishing
The Problem
 Longline
fishing vessels troll the furthest reaches of the earth’s
oceans for tuna, swordfish, halibut, and other sought-after
catches for a growing international market. Behind the boats
stretch lines of hooks that can reach 30 miles long, baited
with squid or small fish. But fish are not the only valuable
creatures hauled on board these vessels. The hooks can snag
other unintended catch, among them albatrosses and other birds.
The trail of fish bait reeling out from the stern of a longliner
as it sets its lines is an attractive prospect to a hungry
albatross. Not aware that the seemingly easy meal floating
tantalizingly on the surface is attached to a four inch hook
and about to be pulled violently under the water, the bird
dives on the bait. If it’s lucky, it misses. Otherwise
it bites through to the hook and is dragged under to drown.
The consequences of this harrowing death are felt hundreds
of miles away, where an expectant chick is waiting for a meal
that will never come.
 This
scenario has become such a common occurrence that it is having
a devastating impact on whole populations of albatrosses,
petrels, and possibly other procellariiformes (shearwaters
and fulmars - commonly referred to as tube noses). In U.S.
waters, the birds most at risk are the Laysan, Black-footed,
and Short-tailed Albatrosses, all listed as threatened with
extinction under IUCN-World Conservation Union Criteria. The
blame for these declines has been laid squarely at the feet
of the longline fishing industry, as have declines in Wandering,
Antipodean, Amsterdam, Southern Royal, Waved, Buller’s,
Grey-headed, and Sooty Albatrosses (also threatened with extinction),
in oceans around the rest of the world.
The Solution
 Fortunately,
there are simple, cost-effective measures that, if fully employed,
could virtually eliminate longline seabird mortality. One
of the most effective deterrents is paired bird-scaring or
“tori” lines (tori
means ‘bird’ in Japanese). Heavier line weights,
interspersed between the hooks, have been shown to sink bait
quicker than birds can dive upon them and can reduce longline
deaths by over 75%. Even simple changes not requiring extra
equipment can make a difference. The hazard can also be reduced
by using thawed bait, which sinks faster and only throwing
the waste from gutted fish overboard when lines are not being
set.
The U.S. has made substantial progress on this issue,
particularly in the case of a free-giveaway of tori lines
to Alaskan vessels, made possible through a U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service grant. The U.S. has produced a National Plan
of Action on the incidental take of seabirds in accordance
with FAO guidelines,
placing it ahead of many other longlining nations.
 ABC
has been at the forefront of world efforts to prevent the
needless deaths of seabirds on longlines and continues to
press regulators, industry and the public toward greater appreciation
of the scope and seriousness of the problem, and to spur them
into action. ABC has published a comprehensive report in English,
Spanish,
and Chinese,
detailing the extent of seabird-bycatch worldwide, and how
it can best be solved. ABC will continue to push for more
stringent regulations, both domestically and internationally,
to better protect these ‘ambassadors of the sea.’
What You Can Do
Support ABC's efforts to reduce the threat of longlining
by donating
today.
Avoid eating Patagonian toothfish, often sold as Chilean
seabass. The majority of fish sold at restaurants and markets
was caught illegally by pirate vessels that employ no seabird
mitigation measures. The fish is landed at overseas ports
that are complicit in the illegal action or else unable to
enforce international law. From here the fish cannot be tracked
and is able to enter the 'legal' marketplace. By reducing
demand, the public can have a direct impact on this illegal
fishery and the seabirds that are impacted by it. Read
More.
|
Mission and Vision 
... Up to Parent Page