[audubon-news] New Technology Will Minimize Seabird Deaths
- From: "BIANCHI, John" <JBIANCHI@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: #Audubon Board of Directors <IMCEAEX-_O=AUDUBON_OU=NATIONAL_CN=RECIPIENTS_CN=BoardOfDirectors@xxxxxxxxxxx>,#Audubon Staff <audstaff@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 13:54:15 -0500
Contact: Eric Gilman
808-988-1976
egilman@xxxxxxxx
NEW TECHNOLOGY MINIMIZES SEABIRD DEATHS
IN HAWAII LONGLINE FISHERY
Underwater Fishing Device is Found to Drastically Reduce Bycatch
Honolulu, Hawaii, March 20, 2002 - Today, the National Audubon Society
announced that new device which keeps fish bait and hooks out of sight of
birds will greatly help avoid seabird mortality in the Hawaii tuna longline
fishery. The equipment, called an underwater chute, enables longline
fishing vessels to catch tuna and swordfish without killing the thousands of
albatross that get caught on baited hooks and drown each year.
First developed in 1995, the underwater setting chute releases baited hooks
underwater, out of sight and reach of these diving seabirds. It has been
tested in New Zealand, and is currently undergoing trials in Australia's
tuna longline fisheries. Trials were completed off the coast of Hawaii last
week.
"Preliminary analysis of the research data indicates the chute was
significantly more effective at avoiding seabird deaths when compared to a
control of setting under normal tuna fishing practices," said Eric Gilman,
project manager for the trial of the chute and Pacific representative for
Audubon's Living Oceans Program.
Of the man-made and natural threats to seabirds, one of the most critical
global problems is incidental mortality in longline fisheries. Birds most
at risk from death in Hawaii's and other North Pacific longline fisheries
are petrels and albatross, including the Short-tailed, Black-Footed and
Laysan albatrosses. The birds get hooked or entangled when gear is being
set and are dragged underwater and drown as the fishing gear sinks.
The results of last week's Trial indicate when setting under control
conditions without the underwater setting chute, seabirds contacted 6.5% of
baited hooks set, resulting in the mortality of 24 seabirds. When setting
with the chute, seabirds contacted 0.2% of baited hooks set, and no birds
were caught or killed. "This project demonstrates that collaboration
between an environmental NGO, fishing industry, and government management
authority is effective and should serve as a model for future efforts,"
continued Audubon's Gilman.
According to Jim Cook, owner of the fishing vessel Katy Mary and
representative of the Hawaii Longline Association, "the data indicate that
the chute is effective at avoiding seabird interactions with longline gear
in the Hawaii fleet. And, equally important, the longline industry is
likely to support use of the chute, as it promises to save fishers money by
reducing bait loss, and does not require significant alteration of normal
fishing practices."
Project partners include the National Audubon Society, Hawaii Longline
Association; US National Marine Fisheries Service; Albi Save, an
Australian-based company that manufactures the chute; and the captain and
crew of the Katy Mary, a Hawaii longline fishing vessel. The U.S. National
Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council, and National Audubon Society's Living Oceans
Program provided financial support.
"Based on a preliminary review of the data, the chute promises to resolve
seabird bycatch problems in the Hawaii tuna fishery, and if the Hawaii
swordfish fishery (closed in 1999 due to concerns over sea turtle mortality)
resolves their turtle bycatch problem and is allowed to resume, the chute
will likely be effective at avoiding seabirds in this fishery as well."
Continued Gilman. "Management authorities need to provide incentives for
industry to continue commercial demonstrations of the chute to augment
stakeholder ownership for its industry-wide use. Managers also need to
conduct a directed experiment to test the effectiveness of currently
required seabird deterrent measures, which were observed to be ineffective
during the chute experiment."
Gilman will work with Dr. Chris Boggs of the National Marine Fisheries
Service, Nigel Brothers, an Australian biologist who collected data for the
at-sea trial of the chute, and captain Jerry Ray and crew of the Katy Mary,
to write a final report for the experiment.
Founded in 1905 and supported by 600,000 members in more than 500 chapters
throughout the Americas, the National Audubon Society conserves and restores
natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and their
habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity.
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