A National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries

Abstract

Concerns about the incidental catch of seabirds in the world’s longline fisheries led to the endorsement of the International Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA–Seabirds) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries in February 1999. The voluntary IPOA–Seabirds applies to States with longline fisheries and would be implemented through the development of National Plans of Action, no later than early 2001. The U.S. NPOA–Seabirds contains the following themes: 1) Regional assessments of seabird interactions with longline fisheries; 2) If a problem exists, then actions should be taken – data collection; prescription of mitigation measures; research and development; and outreach about seabird bycatch; 3) Annual regional reports on the status of NPOA-Seabirds implementation; 4) Cooperative efforts between NMFS and FWS on seabird bycatch issues and research; and 5) A national commitment to advocate the development of National Plans of Action within international fora. By working cooperatively, fishermen, managers, regional fishery management councils, scientists, and the public will use this national framework to achieve a balanced solution to the seabird bycatch problem, promoting continuing sustainability of our national marine resources