For Immediate Release: February 12, 2009

Contact: American Bird Conservancy, 202-234-7181, ext. 216, www.abcbirds.org
Dan Williams, Washington Sea Grant, 206-616-6353, dw7@u.washington.edu

Fishermen Work to Keep Birds Off the Hook

Black-footed Albatrosses. Photo: Clipart.com

(Washington, D.C.) West Coast fishermen are voluntarily taking measures to stop the accidental killing of seabirds which can be snared on the hooks of long-line fishing boats. The Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association (FVOA), which represents longlining captains in the halibut and sablefish fisheries along the West Coast, has instructed its members to use streamer lines when longline fishing in Washington, Oregon, and California waters.

“We greatly appreciate this voluntary action on the part of FVOA, and are eager to see other fishermen’s associations follow suit,” said Jessica Hardesty, American Bird Conservancy’s Seabird Program Director. “Now that we have developed effective and inexpensive bycatch reduction measures, it is important to tailor them to new fisheries where they can save bird lives.”

Seabirds often follow fishing vessels looking for a free meal, and can drown when they try to take the bait attached to longline fishing hooks. This seabird bycatch is a problem in longline fisheries throughout the Pacific, especially by boats (largely outside the U.S. fleet) which do not employ any bycatch reduction techniques. Along the West Coast of the United States, bycatch of the Black-footed Albatross in the sablefish fishery is the primary concern.

Measures to prevent bycatch are already required for the groundfish fleets operating in Alaska, where albatross deaths have been reduced by up to 80% thanks to the use of bird-scaring streamer lines which were researched by Washington Sea Grant (WSG), a sea grant college program that conducts research, education and outreach concerning marine issues.

“We were pleased with the process of reducing bird bycatch in Alaska, and we would support similar measures here along the West Coast,” said Robert Alverson, Executive Director of FVOA, which collaborated with researchers to establish the regulations currently in force in Alaska.

WSG is currently working with the Northwest Science Center of NOAA Fisheries to examine the overlap of the West Coast hook-and-line fleets with seabirds and to develop practical and effective management options to address the issue.

“We have established a productive partnership, where the best science is used to establish regulations that work for both the birds and the fishermen,” said Ed Melvin, a senior scientist at Washington Sea Grant, who has worked closely with the fleets on seabird bycatch for years. “Members of the fishermen’s associations and the seabird conservation community are confident that practical solutions for the west coast will be implemented over the next few years.”

According to the most recent estimates, the breeding population of Black-footed Albatrosses is around 64,500 pairs. Their breeding range was greatly reduced, and populations suffered huge declines at the turn of the 19th Century due to hunting for the feather trade. Unlike the Laysan Albatross, which was similarly affected, the Black-footed Albatross did not rebound once hunting was stopped. Fisheries bycatch, which has decimated albatross populations throughout the world, and degradation of island habitats are undoubtedly hindering recovery.

“The Black-footed Albatross is considered globally endangered, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is currently reviewing a petition to list it under the Endangered Species Act.” said Hardesty.

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC acts to safeguard the rarest bird species, restore habitats, and reduce threats, while building capacity in the conservation movement. ABC is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that is consistently awarded a top, four-star rating by the independent group, Charity Navigator.

Based at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant funds marine research and works with communities and businesses to manage and protect marine resources.