The Department of Conservation says fisheries bycatch is the primary driver of albatross population decline. Photo: Graham Robertson/Australian Antarctic Program

Animals New Zealand1. September 2024

We Can Fish Without Harming Our Seabirds!

More robust measures, notably regarding surface longline fishing, have been adopted to better protect the 145 seabird species calling New Zealand home, including the endangered albatross, while safeguarding fishers’ livelihoods.

“Industry is committed to lowering seabird deaths from fishing activities,” states Seafood New Zealand chief executive Lisa Futschek. “Our approach, which we’re very proud of, has been to work with fishers directly to innovate and adopt practical solutions that are tailored to vessels, fisheries, and relative seabird risks.”

The new rules are blanket measures, meaning that they always apply to the entire surface longline fleet. Boats are required to use special hook-shielding devices that prevent seabirds from accessing the hooks or adopt three other protection measures: bird-scaring streamers called tori lines, weighted lines to help the hooks sink below the surface, and the deployment of lines only at night. Many fishers have already and voluntarily applied one of the two options. “These fishers are being proactive as they care about the birds and their livelihoods.” Two-thirds of the Antipodean Albatross population has been lost in the past decade, prompting the Department of Conservation to consider the species nationally critical.

Source:
Newsroom

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