Экологические аспекты рыболовства Environmental impact of fisheries Sea birds and Bottom Longline Fishery in the Kamchatka Region Moscow, 2006 Морские птицы и донное ярусное рыболовство в Камчатском регионе М.: 2006. – 56 с. Ю. Б. Артюхин, А. В. Винников, Д. А. Терентьев Фотографии: Ю. Б. Артюхин, Д. А. Терентьев Sea birds and bottom longline fishery in the Kamchatka region Yu. B. Artyukhin, A. V. Vinnikov, D. A. Terentiev Photographs credit: Yu. B. Artyukhin, D. A. Terentiev Editing: V. Spiridonov, P. Sharov Translator: A. Nikolaeva Представлен отчет о результатах проекта Всемирного фонда дикой природы, посвященного снижению прилова морских птиц при российском ярусном промысле донных рыб в Беринговом и Охотском морях. В условиях российских морей проверены приспособления и методы лова (стримерные линии, утяжеленная хребтина яруса), которые, с одной стороны, уменьшают попадание на крючки и гибель морских птиц, а с другой – повышают экономическую эффективность промысла за счет предотвращения потери схватываемой при постановке яруса птицами наживы. Дается обзор истории и современного состояния ярусного промысла в дальневосточных морях России, экологических проблем, связанных с ярусным промыслом, и предлагаются рекомендации по снижению гибели морских птиц при промысловых операциях. Для специалистов по добыче, капитанов рыболовных судов, руководителей рыболовных компаний, специалистов по рыболовству, охране природы, орнитологов, ихтиологов и морских биологов, а также преподавателей и студентов биологических факультетов и факультетов промышленного рыболовства университетов и технических университетов. The studies were conducted as part of the project of WWF Russia 0098.0102 (coordinated by K.A. Zgurovsky and the regional coordinator of the project in Kamchatka A.N. Yablochkov). All authors and coordinators are especially grateful to and emphasize the role of V.N. Burkanov and M. Williams in launching this project. We also express our gratitude to our colleagues who participated in collecting data in the sea, as well as to the administration of Federal State Unitary Company "KamchatNIRO" and the fishing companies "Acros", "Polluks", "Tymlatsky fishing and processing factory" for setting up implementation of this project, and also the crews of the longline fishing vessels for their invaluable assistance. We thank H. Hasegawa (Toho University), E. Melvin (University of Washington), G. Robertson (Australian Antarctic Division), R. Suryan (Oregon State University) for their consultations and materials they provided for our analysis. The streamer lines and the set of IW mainline, produced by "A. S. Fiskevegn", were obtained thanks to the assistance of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Branch, Anchorage. The producer of streamers provid ed the delivery of them to Russia assisted by the Federal Department and the USA Consulate General in Vladivostok. The equipment to measure the speed of the longlines sinking, including Mk9 sensors was pro vided by E. Melvin. The Sea Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and North Pacific Association of Longline Fishermen, uniting big and small fishing companies of the US provided their assistance in publishing a book let on identification of North Pacific albatrosses. The field work was financed by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), KamchatNIRO, and Kamchatka Branch of Pacific Institute of Geography FarEastern Department of Russian Academy of Sciences. The National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) US is planning to finance continuation of this work. Distributed for free © Ю. Б. Артюхин, Д. А. Терентьев, фотографии, 2006 © Н. Д. Очагов, верстка, 2006 © WWF России, 2006 Contents Preface . .4 Abstract and recommendations . .6 Introduction . .8 1. History of longline fishing in the Northern Pacific Ocean and Kamchatka waters . .7 2. Present condition of fleet and fishing gears . .9 3. Features of longline fishing and condition of Kamchatka marine fishery . .11 4. Material and methods of research . .15 5. Species of killed seabirds . .19 6. Behavior of seabirds at the process of setting commercial fishery longlines . .22 7. Some indicators of seabird mortality . .23 8. Seabird mortality assessment . .25 9. Impacts of longline fishing on seabird populations . .27 10. Impacts of seabirds on longline fishing . .30 11. Ways of solving the problem of "longline fishing and seabirds" . .31 11.1. Tests of streamer lines use in Kamchatka longline fishing . .32 11.1.1. Settings and use of streamer lines . .32 11.1.2. Attacks of seabirds on bait on fishing hooks at the setting of longlines . .33 11.1.3. Catches of fish . .34 11.2.Tests of weighted mainline use in Kamchatka longline fishing . .35 11.2.1. Features of tested gear . .35 11.2.2. Attacks of seabirds on bait on fishing hooks at the setting of longlines . .37 11.2.3. Catches of fish . .39 11.2.4. Features of sinking longlines . .40 11.2.5. Exploitation features of mainline . .42 Conclusion . .45 Acknowledgements . .46 References . .47 4 Environmental impact of fisheries Abstract and Recommendations This present work summarizes the results of the mon seabirds in the North Pacific. The percent of ful World Wide Fund for Nature project on reduction of mars among dead birds in East Kamchatka waters in incidental bycatch of seabirds in Russian demersal 2003 and 2004 was 65.1 % and 27.8 % respectively, longline fishing in the Bering Sea and Sea of in the Sea of Okhotsk 66.7 %. According to obser Okhotsk. The main objective of the project was to vations in 2003 another common victim was short test in the Russian Far East the equipment and tailed shearwater (Procellariiformes). This species is methods of fishery that can both minimize the num a transequator migrant that travels in large groups ber of hooked and killed seabirds as well as provide to the North up to the Chukchi Sea. The second big economical benefits for fishermen by preventing group of killed seabirds includes big whiteheaded caused by seabirds losses of bait. gulls (Larus). The most abundant and wide spread At present there are approximately twenty long among big gulls the slatybacked gull in Kamchatka line fishing vessels operating in Kamchatka. The region was the most numerous in that group. On demersal longline fishery provides up to 4060 % of 10th of August 2003 there was a single record of by the annual harvest of cod in the main commercial catching Shorttailed albatross, a rare species listed fishery marine areas of Kamchatka. The halibut and endangered by IUCN. rockfish are second to cod as valuable target At the setting of longlines in Kamchatka region a species of longline fishery. mainline with hooks is released from ship's stern on In 2003 most attention was paid to collecting data the water surface about several meters behind the on seabird mortality from demersal longline fish vessel and slowly sinks staying at depth of few ing. Tests of streamer lines were conducted in 2004 dozens of meters. Before the line sinks deep and in the beginning of 2005. There were four expe seabirds attempt to get pieces of bait off the hooks ditions and three types of settings were used: one both at the surface and under water. The examina with no deterrents, another with a single streamer tion of dead birds revealed that only small percent line, and with double streamer lines. Tests of the age of birds (15.6 %) gets hooked by beaks while weighted mainline (Integrated Weight IW) were trying to take the bait. The majority of birds get done in April 2005. Our observations included mon caught with hooks by other body parts like wings or itoring changes in seabird bycatch and impacts on legs. setting the mainlines. The longline fishing in Russian waters is a proven In the Western Bering Sea and East Kamchatkan factor of mortality of shorttailed albatrosses. By fishery zones the longlines were monitored by itself longline fishing in Russian or American waters observers and 343 dead seabirds were registered in probably couldn't change significantly the abun 2003 and 108 in 2004. During the operations in the dance of this species or threaten its existence. Sea of Okhotsk from November 2004 till April 2005 However, together with other factors the impacts of only 12 dead seabirds were registered. fishing could be significant and slow down restora In the Bering Sea and waters of the Sea of Okhotsk tion of this bird population. and Pacific Ocean adjacent to South Kamchatka the The assessed economic losses of longline fleet relative mortality of seabirds killed by longline fishing from wasting bait because of seabirds were about in 2003 was higher than in 2004: on average $840,000 in 2004. Most of the losses occur in the 0.132±0.023 birds per 1000 of hooks (variation from Bering Sea and Pacific waters of Kamchatka, 0 to 6.0) against 0.051±0.012 of birds per 1000 because those are the main fishing areas. hooks (0 to 3.3). In the Sea of Okhotsk the seabird Observations in 2003 and comparisons with data mortality was lower and on average was 0.011±0.004 for adjacent waters of the Bering Sea showed that of birds per 1000 hooks. The killed seabirds belonged issues of seabirds and demersal longline fishing to nine species of four families including are very similar for both Russia and the US. Diomedeidae (albatrosses), Procellariidae (fulmars) Therefore it is reasonable to try adopting in both families belong to Procellariiformes, Kamchatka foreign (primarily American) experi Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants), and Laridae (gulls). ence resulting from years of special research rather The most frequent victims were fulmars and other than developing some new and likely expensive Procellariiformes species as they are the most com methods. Seabirds and Bottom LongLine Fishing in Kamchatka Region 5 The tests of streamer lines and weighted mainline mortality, saved bait, and even lead to some were done on two type of fishing vessels in 2004 increase in catch (for instance catch of cod and 2005 in order to assess the possibilities of introduc Pacific halibut).