Estimating Mortality of Black-Browed Albatross

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Estimating Mortality of Black-Browed Albatross Polar Biol DOI 10.1007/s00300-015-1747-3 ORIGINAL PAPER Estimating mortality of black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris, Temminck, 1828) and other seabirds in the Argentinean factory trawl fleet and the use of bird-scaring lines as a mitigation measure 1 1 2,3 Leandro Luis Tamini • Leandro Nahuel Chavez • Marı´a Eva Go´ngora • 4 5 6 Oliver Yates • Fabia´n Leandro Rabuffetti • Ben Sullivan Received: 21 October 2014 / Revised: 21 May 2015 / Accepted: 23 June 2015 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015 Abstract Seabird bycatch represents one of the main we identified black-browed albatross mortality rates of threats to vulnerable seabird populations, particularly 0.013 and 0.093 birds/haul for net entanglement and cable albatross and petrels, and requires urgent conservation collision (corpses hauled aboard), respectively. From management interventions at a global scale. We studied counts of birds killed or injured by cable collisions, we seabird mortality associated with demersal factory trawl estimate a black-browed albatross mortality rate of 0.237 vessels that target Argentine Hake Merluccius hubbsi along birds/h. We use official fishing effort data to consider the the Argentine Patagonian Shelf and tested the efficacy of potential scale of seabird mortality for the entire fleet and bird-scaring lines as a seabird bycatch mitigation measure. identify the main factors contributing to seabird mortality From November 2008 to June 2010, dedicated seabird in this fishery. Bird-scaring lines eliminated seabird mor- observers recorded three sources of seabird mortality: tality caused by collisions with trawl cables and are rec- entanglements with the trawl net; collisions with the trawl ommended as a short- to medium-term measure to mitigate cables (corpses hauled aboard); and collisions with trawl seabird mortality in this fishery. cables (birds observed killed or injured). During 141 days and 389 hauls, we recorded 17 seabird species associated Keywords Incidental capture Á Mitigation measures Á with vessels, ten of which interacted with fishing gear. The Thalassarche melanophris Á Patagonian Shelf Á Hake most vulnerable species was the black-browed albatross fishery (Thalassarche melanophris). From 41 recovered corpses, & Leandro Luis Tamini Introduction [email protected] Seabird mortality in fisheries has been recognised as a 1 Albatross Task Force Argentina, Programa Marino, Aves global conservation concern in marine ecosystems Argentinas/AOP, Matheu 1248, C1249AAB Buenos Aires, Argentina (Brothers et al. 1999). Studies have reported high inci- dental mortality rates associated with different fishing gear, 2 ´ ´ Subsecretarıa de Pesca, Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderıa, including gill nets, drifts nets, trawl nets, and longlines Bosques y Pesca de la Provincia del Chubut, Vachina 164, 9103 Rawson, Chubut, Argentina (e.g. Jones and DeGange 1988; Brothers 1991; Weimer- skirch et al. 1997; Sullivan and Reid 2002; Tamini et al. 3 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Julio A. Roca 115 1°, 9100 Trelew, Chubut, 2002;Go´mez Laich et al. 2006; Gonza´lez-Zevallos et al. Argentina 2007). The impact of longline fishing on seabird popula- 4 BirdLife International Marine Programme, RSPB, The tions was only recognised during the last decade of the Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, England, UK twentieth century (Bartle 1991; Nel et al. 2002), and a 5 Departamento de Conservacio´n, Aves Argentinas/AOP, review of the scale of bycatch estimates suggests ca. Buenos Aires, Argentina 160.000 (and potentially in excess of 320,000) seabirds 6 BirdLife International Marine Programme, 44 Quayle Street, become hooked and drown on longlines every year (An- Sandy Bay, TAS 7005, Australia derson et al. 2011). This mortality occurs because seabirds 123 Polar Biol are attracted to vessels by the presence of bait deployed on The main components of a BSL are the supporting line hooks or fish and offal discarded during fishing operations. (backbone), streamer lines and mounting or attachment The magnitude of this mortality is sufficient to consider pole, although BSL designs differ between fisheries that it is responsible for the decline of several threatened (Brothers 1995; Brothers et al. 1999). A mechanized seabird populations (BirdLife International 2004). deployment and retrieval reel is not essential, but may help The first records of seabird mortality in trawl fisheries eliminate BSL entanglements and manual labour (Brothers were reported by Bartle (1991), but received less attention 1995). More recently, more precise recommendations have as the large numbers of seabirds caught on longline hooks been incorporated including: streamers should be brightly was a more readily identifiable impact on populations than coloured and reach the sea surface in calm conditions, mortality associated with trawl gear (Weimerskirch et al. streamers should be placed at intervals of no more than 2000). In trawl fisheries, birds are attracted by fish and 5 m, and a suitable towed device should be used to provide offal discards, and once the birds are in close proximity to drag, maximise aerial extent and maintain the line directly the vessels, mortality occurs due to collisions with trawl behind the vessel during crosswinds (ACAP 2013a). The cables (metal cables used to tow fishing nets), ‘‘third wire’’ aerial coverage and the position of the bird-scaring line are or net sonde cable (a cable that tows a device used to the most important factors influencing their performance monitor nets during fishing) or by entanglement in the nets (ACAP 2013a). (Weimerskirch et al. 2000; Gonza´lez-Zevallos and Yorio Several studies in demersal longline fisheries have 2006; Sullivan et al. 2006b). Impacts with trawl cables demonstrated a significant reduction in seabird collisions occur when birds are in the air or on the water and increase and captures using BSLs (Løkkeborg 2003; Melvin et al. as a function of cable visibility (e.g. material, diameter), 2004c; Reid et al. 2005) and pelagic longline fisheries aerial extent (e.g. a larger aerial extent implies greater risk (Boggs 2001; Melvin et al. 2004b, d). For trawl fisheries, to of collision), the position of discharge in relation to the protect both trawl cables and thus reduce seabird collisions, water entry point of cables, type of discharge (e.g. whole Sullivan et al. (2004) used two BSLs and no mortalities fish vs. viscera) amongst other factors (Dietrich and Melvin were recorded during trials in the Malvinas (Falkland) 2007). The net sonde cable was banned in several fisheries Islands finfish trawl fishery. Melvin et al. (2004a) tested in the southern hemisphere in the early 90 s due to the high single and paired BSLs in the Bering Sea Pollock trawl albatross mortality associated with this device (Bartle fishery and found that both configurations virtually elimi- 1991; Weimerskirch et al. 2000). More recently the impact nated seabird air and water collisions with the third wire. of trawl cables has been shown to cause mortality in a large More recently, Maree et al. (2014) demonstrated not only number of seabird species. Long-winged birds like alba- the effectiveness of BSLs at preventing seabird collisions tross and giant petrels appear to be the most vulnerable as with trawl cables, but following the introduction of BSLs a they forage with outstretched wings, which makes them reduction of [90 % of seabird mortality was maintained particularly susceptible to cable strike (Sullivan et al. over the course of 5 years in a South African trawl fishery. 2006b). Assessing mortality associated with trawl cables is Respectively, 17 and 22 seabird species breed on the complicated as mortality can be cryptic, as not all carcasses coast of Patagonia and Malvinas (Falkland) Islands (Yorio are hauled aboard. Therefore, dedicated seabird observers et al. 1998; Woods and Woods 2006) and more than 50 are required. Currently, interactions with trawl cables are seabird species forage on the Patagonian Shelf (Favero and not included in traditional observer data collection proto- Silva Rodriguez 2005) representing an area of global sig- cols (Moore and Zˇ ydelis 2008) which hinder the develop- nificance. More than 67 % of c. 602,000 pairs of the black- ment of an accurate estimate. browed albatross breeding population reproduce in the Mitigation measures can be defined as the modification Malvinas (Falkland) Islands and use the shelf for foraging to fishing practices and/or equipment that reduces the (Gales 1998; Huin 2002). This species has been downlisted likelihood of incidental seabird bycatch (Brothers et al. from endangered to near threatened according to IUCN 1999) and are also relevant for other species of mega fauna, criteria (BirdLife International 2014b) due to the recovery particularly marine mammals and sea turtles (for reviews of breeding populations in the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, see Rowe 2007; Lucchetti and Sala 2010). Streamer lines which were previously estimated to be in significant are known by a variety of names, including: bird-scaring decline (Gales 1998; Huin 2002). However, the South lines (paired and single), tori lines, tori pole streamers and Atlantic supports several major fisheries with evidence of bird lines or BSL by the initials (Bull 2007) and were mortality of this species associated with net sonde cable, initially used for longline fisheries and later adapted for trawl cables and nets (Gonza´lez-Zevallos and Yorio 2006; trawl vessels. Brothers et al. (1999) define a BSL for Sullivan et
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