Towards an Ecosystem Approach to Longline Fisheries in the Benguela: An assessment of impacts on seabirds, sea turtles and sharks WWF South Africa Report Series – 2007/Marine/001 A process funded by the BCLME in partnership with WWF and BirdLife Compiled and edited by: Samantha Petersen1*, Deon Nel2 & Aaniyah Omardien2 1BirdLife & WWF Responsible Fisheries Programme, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701 Email:
[email protected] *Corresponding editor; current address: WWF Responsible Fisheries Programme, Capricorn Fisheries Monitoring, P.O. Box 50035, Waterfront, Cape Town, 8002 Email:
[email protected] 2WWF Sanlam Marine Programme, WWF South Africa, Private Bag X2, Die Boord, 7613, South Africa Email:
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[email protected] APRIL 2007 Towards an Ecosystem Approach to Longline Fisheries in the Benguela: An assessment of impacts on seabirds, sea turtles and sharks FOREWORD Marine science and fisheries management in the coastal countries of the Benguela ecosystem have a long and proud history, recognised throughout the world for innovative and proactive approaches. This work was substantially boosted and strengthened when the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Programme started in 2002 and it has supported and facilitated a wealth of high-level studies and activities central to the needs of responsible management of human uses of and impacts on this productive and rich ecosystem. One of the strongest features of southern African marine science has always been its emphasis on ecosystem interactions, as manifested in the Benguela Ecology Programme, the Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction and Training Programme (BENEFIT) and the BCLME Programme.