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Download This Article in PDF Format Aquat. Living Resour. 25, 281–295 (2012) Aquatic c EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2012 DOI: 10.1051/alr/2012026 Living www.alr-journal.org Resources Risk assessment and relative impact of Uruguayan pelagic longliners on seabirds Sebastián Jimenez´ 1,2,3,a, Andrés Domingo1,2, Martin Abreu1 and Alejandro Brazeiro3 1 Proyecto Albatros y Petreles – Uruguay, Centro de Investigación y Conservación Marina (CICMAR), Avenida Giannattasio Km 30.5, CP 15008 Canelones, Uruguay 2 Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, CP 11200, Montevideo, Uruguay 3 Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay Received 16 February 2012; Accepted 10 September 2012 Abstract – Bycatch in longline fisheries is considered one of the main threats for the conservation of albatrosses and petrels worldwide. However, the relative impact of fisheries on all the affected populations or species still remains poorly understood. This paper applied a Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) and the concept of “Poten- tial Biological Removal Level” (PBR) to assess the relative impact caused by the Uruguayan pelagic longline fishery on several populations. This two-step approach allowed us to obtain an objective view of the relative impact of the Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet on most of the populations or species of albatrosses and petrels with high associa- tion with this fishery. Of fifteen species considered, fourteen were finally assessed and a ranking of risk derived. The concept of PBR was applied to the nine most at-risk species. The impact of fishing on populations could not be straight- forwardly inferred from their bycatch rates. Results indicate that large albatrosses (Diomedea spp.) and Thalassarche chlororhynchos aremoreaffected than some of the main species caught by the fishery (i.e. Thalassarche melanophrys and Procellaria aequinoctialis). Diomedea exulans from South Georgia is likely to be the population most affected by the Uruguayan fleet. This work should be seen as a case study of the fisheries operating in the southwestern Atlantic. The Uruguayan fleet within its operation area was responsible for only the 4.3% to 12.5% of the total annual effort deployed by the different fleets during 2004−2008. The combined impact of these fleets could be sufficiently high to account for many of the observed declines in the populations of D. exulans, D. dabbenena and T. chlororhynchos.How- ever, the seabird bycatch numbers for most of the pelagic longline fleets that operate in the southwest Atlantic remain unknown. Applying mitigation measures to reduce the impact of pelagic longline fleets operating in this region should be considered a high priority. Keywords: Bycatch / Ecological Risk Assessment / Demographic invariant method / Fishery Management / Albatross / Petrel / South West Atlantic 1 Introduction most of the attention at a global level (Alexander et al. 1997; Robertson and Gales 1998; Brothers et al. 1999), as it has been Fisheries are major anthropogenic activities carried out associated as one of the main causes of decline of several pop- in all oceans of the planet, with a great impact on seabirds ulations (Gales 1998). (Tasker et al. 2000; Montevecchi 2002; Furness 2003). Al- At least fifteen species of seabirds have been caught by the batrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) live most of their Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet, with the continental slope lives at sea, and are capable of traveling vast distances to of the southwest Atlantic and the period from May to Novem- feed (e.g. Prince et al. 1998; Weimerskich and Wilson 2000; ber the area and time, respectively, with greatest interaction for Nicholls et al. 2002; Croxall et al. 2005). The use of a sup- many of these species (Jiménez et al. 2009a, 2009b, 2010). Es- plementary source of food offered by fishing vessels (as dis- timates indicate that during 2004−2007 several hundred birds cards or bait) often results in seabird bycatch and consequent were caught annually, with Thalassarche melanophrys, Pro- mortality in some fisheries (e.g. longline, trawl and gillnet; cellaria aequinoctialis and Thalassarche chlororhynchos the Brothers et al. 1999;Taskeretal.2000). Undoubtedly, bycatch main species caught (Jiménez et al. 2010). In contrast, other of albatrosses and petrels in longlines has historically drawn species are captured in very small proportions (Jiménez et al. 2008, 2010). However, the significance of these captures on a Corresponding author: [email protected] their populations remains poorly understood. Differences in Article published by EDP Sciences 282 S. Jiménez et al.: Aquat. Living Resour. 25, 281–295 (2012) population sizes and recovery capabilities (in terms of produc- it has a mitigating effect on seabird bycatch (Jiménez et al. tivity) among populations could mean that the impact caused 2009a). During this period, sets starting during daylight hours by this fishery on their populations is not a direct reflection of (before sunset) were observed through the year, increasing its their relative bycatch. proportion between late spring and early fall (Jiménez et al. Procellariiformes share extreme demographic characteris- 2010). The principal oceanographic characteristic defining the tics, exhibiting high adult survival rate, high longevity and study area is the occurrence of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence low fecundity (highly delayed sexual maturity, a single egg). (BMC), formed by the meeting of the Brazil and Malvinas cur- Within this order, several species are biennial breeders (in- rents (Olson et al. 1988;Achaetal.2004; Ortega and Martínez cluding the great albatrosses, Diomedea spp.), making them 2007). even less productive (Gales 1998;Taskeretal.2000; Furness 2003; Brooke 2004). Furthermore, empirical evidence shows that species that are more likely to gain access to baited hooks 2.2 Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) during setting of pelagic longline gear, are those with greater ability to dive or with larger beaks that allow them to feed on The PSA, in the framework of an Ecological Risk Analy- large items such as baits. However, the existing dominance hi- sis (ERA) for exploited species or populations, helps to iden- erarchy related to body size (Jiménez et al. 2011) establishes tify which species of those that interact with a given fishery that larger species have greater access to baits (Jiménez et al. are the most vulnerable and thus exposed to the greatest risk 2012). Given their low productivity and potentially high sus- (Cortés et al. 2010; Patrick et al. 2010; Arrizabalaga et al. ceptibility to bycatch, great albatrosses would be in a high-risk 2011; Hobday et al. 2011; Ormset & Spencer 2011; Waugh situation. et al. 2012;Tucketal.2011). In the context of an ERA, the This paper aims to measure the relative impact that the present analysis is a level 2 or semi-quantitative analysis due Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet has on different populations to the nature of the information available (Hobday et al. 2007, of Procellariiformes. Specifically, we seek to answer whether 2011). Risk is estimated as the Euclidian distance from the = = bycatch by the Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet represents a point (productivity 1, susceptibility 0) of the graph of pro- relatively greater risk for great albatross species than for other ductivity against susceptibility. In this study the risk is under- smaller Procellariiformes. To address this hypothesis, we con- stood as a measure of the degree to which the impact caused / duct a Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis (PSA; Hobday by the fishery to a population species exceeds its biological et al. 2011) to determine those species that are at greater risk. capacity to reproduce (Cortés et al. 2010). Then, we apply the concept of Potential Biological Removal Productivity Level (PBR; Wade 1998) to assess the quantitative impact. Assignment of reproductive islands/archipelagos.For some species the origin of the individuals that interact in the 2 Materials and methods fishery is clear due to their being endemic to one or a few is- lands or archipelagos nearby. This is the case for Procellaria 2.1 The fishery and study area conspicillata, which reproduces solely on the island Tristan da Cunha, for Diomedea dabbenena, which reproduces on Gough The Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet has been targeting Island and T. chlororhynchos, which reproduces on both adja- swordfish (Xiphias gladius), tuna (Thunnus albacares, Thun- cent archipelagos in the south central Atlantic (Brooke 2004; nus obesus and Thunnus alalunga), and pelagic sharks (mostly Onley and Scofield 2007). Other species, though not endemics, Prionace glauca) since 1981 in a large area of the south- have more than 90% of their population in one archipelago, west Atlantic Ocean (Pons and Domingo 2009a, 2009b, 2010). such as Diomedea epomophora (99% of the population on During the last decade the fleet has operated mainly between Campbell Island, New Zealand; ACAP 2009a), Diomedea 20o−40oS and 20o–55oW (Forselledo et al. 2008; Jiménez sanfordi (>99% of the population on Chatham Islands, New et al. 2009a, 2010; Pons & Domingo 2010), using as its main Zealand; ACAP 2009b), Thalassarche steadi (>99% of the fishing gear an American style longline (monofilament main population on Auckland Islands, New Zealand; ACAP 2011) line), the description of which is given in Domingo et al. and Puffinus gravis (>99% of the population on Tristan da (2005) and Jiménez et al. (2009a).
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