Lessons from seabird conservation in Alaskan longline fisheries.

ABSTRACT: Although bycatch of seabirds and other long-lived species is a critical conservation issue in world fisheries, case studies documenting significant reductions in the mortality of these low-productivity species in a fishery are rare. We studied progress toward seabird conservation in the Alaskan longline fisheries, one of the largest and most diverse demersal fisheries. We generated annual seabird bycatch rates in 4 target fisheries and all fisheries combined from 23 years of fisheries observer data. We used 0-inflated negative binomial models to evaluate variables influencing seabird bycatch per unit effort (BPUE) in 2 target fisheries. Following adoption of streamer lines, at first voluntarily and then mandatorily, seabird BPUE was reduced by 77-90%, preventing mortality of thousands of b

SUBMITTER: Melvin EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6850691 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature