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Threat Abatement Plan for the Incidental Catch (or by-catch) of Seabirds During Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations

Prepared by
Biodiversity Group Environment Australia in consultation with the Threat Abatement Team
Environment Australia, 1998
ISBN 0 642 21420 4

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Appendix A: Summary of Objectives, Criteria and Actions

A. Mitigation - Pelagic Fisheries
B. Mitigation - Demersal Longline Fisheries
C. Education
D. Information

A. Mitigation - Pelagic Fisheries
Specific Objectives	Criteria	Prescribed Actions
1. Ensure that measures which are known to be effective in mitigating seabird by-catch are required by appropriate legislative frameworks for use in pelagic longline fishing operations in the AFZ	Compliance with Commonwealth fisheries law relating to by-catch mitigation by pelagic longline fishers operating in the AFZ Seabird by-catch mortality in all fishing areas, seasons or fisheries will be less than 0.05 birds/1000 hooks	1. AFMA and DPIE will require domestic and foreign pelagic longline fishers respectively to adopt one of three options on an annual basis when setting all or part of a longline south of 30° S in the AFZ. Mitigation measures relating to use of bird poles and lines and offal discharge apply to all options. All options will require monitoring by an approved observer program (see Objective 8 Action 3 + 4). There is no restriction on fishers using mitigation measures from other options in addition to those required by their chosen option. It should be noted that, due to the difficulty of implementing some mitigation measures on smaller boats (those under 20m), flexibility will be built into the regulations enacted under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 to allow fishers to apply for variations on the prescribed measures. OPTION 1 - All baits will be set at night (as defined by this Plan). OPTION 2 All vessels fishing during the day will: - use lines which are sufficiently weighted to cause the baits to sink out of reach of diving seabirds immediately after they are set. This weight will be determined by experimental trials - demonstrate an ability to thaw baits before lines are set - use thawed baits on their hooks - operators should note that day setting operations will require a higher level of observer coverage OPTION 3 - Vessels which can demonstrate a technique of setting and hauling longlines without making the hooks/baits available to seabirds can be issued with a permit to operate without any of the restrictions in Options 1 and 2 above. These fishers may also be exempt from compliance with Actions 2, 3 and 4.
		Bird Scaring Lines 2. Fisheries Management Regulation 19A prescribes use of a bird scaring line by pelagic longline fishers south of 30°S in the AFZ. AFMA will make recommendations to the Minister for Resources and Energy that the Regulation be amended to require all pelagic longline vessels operating in the AFZ to carry a bird scaring line of approved design north of 30^oS and use where necessary. 3. DPIE will, through international agreements for access to fish stocks in the AFZ, continue to apply Fisheries Management Regulation 19A to all foreign pelagic longline vessels operating in the AFZ.
		4. Offal Discharge AFMA will prepare recommendations to the Minister for Resources and Energy that regulations be made to ensure that all foreign and domestic longline vessels operating in the Australian fishing zone retain all offal during line setting or hauling and discharge it when not line setting or hauling.
2. Encourage voluntary use of measures which are known to be effective in mitigating seabird by-catch	Level of voluntary adoption of mitigation measures	1. Fishers operating pelagic longline vessels in the AFZ should adopt a Code of Practice which requires voluntary adoption of seabird mitigation measures in addition to the mandatory measures. The code of practice should include: Puncturing swim bladders on bait fish where practical Use of bait casting machines on all suitable vessels Use of bird scaring lines when birds are encountered during line setting in fishing areas north of 30°S Selection of fishing gear which minimises the probability of seabird by-catch. Promoting safe release of all seabirds caught alive on longlines Promoting correct use of appropriate fishing gear Promoting the correct use of mitigation measures Night setting north of 30°S Promoting the removal of hooks from fish discards
3. Encourage and provide for development of new mitigation measures and refinement of existing measures	A research and development program is established which provides funding, incentives and assessment for development of new mitigation measures and refinement of existing measures	1. The Commonwealth and relevant agencies will make funds available for cooperative research into development of new mitigation measures and refinement of existing measures. 2. Commonwealth agencies will collaborate in setting research priorities in consultation with stakeholders. 3. AFMA will ensure that regulations provide for scientific permits for development and experimental testing of new measures and refined existing measures within the guidelines set out in this plan, and that the permits include appropriate evaluation. 4. Environment Australia will review and promote appropriate incentives and funding sources for research and development.

B. Mitigation - Demersal Longline Fisheries
Objective	Criteria	Prescribed Actions
4. Identify the rates of seabird by-catch in demersal longline fisheries operating in the AFZ.	By-catch rates have been quantified and described in a manner adequate to allow management actions to be taken where necessary	1. AFMA will assess the by-catch rate of seabirds on domestic demersal longline vessels using an observer program (described under Objective 8, Action 4).
5. Apply appropriate mitigation measures to demersal longline fisheries which are shown to have significant seabird by-catch	Compliance with Commonwealth fisheries law and directions given by AFMA in relation to seabird by-catch mitigation	1. AFMA will develop and implement, if found to be necessary, mitigation measures to reduce the seabird by-catch in demersal fisheries to below 0.05 birds per 1000 hooks.
		2. Should demersal longlining activities be considered around Heard, McDonald and Macquarie Islands, suitable mitigation measures will be developed in conjunction with Environment Australia and the Threat Abatement Team before the fishery proceeds.
		3. Offal Discharge AFMA will recommend to the Minister for Resources and Energy that regulations be made to ensure that all demersal longline vessels operating in the Australian fishing zone retain all offal during line setting or hauling and discharge it when not line setting or hauling.

C. Education
Objective	Criteria	Prescribed Actions
6. Implement a fisher extension and training program for longline fishers operating in the AFZ	An education, extension and information transfer program is established targeting longline fishers operating in the Australian fishing zone	1. AFMA, in cooperation with Environment Australia, will inform pelagic and demersal longline fishers about new mandatory measures and their obligations under the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 and National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 to report all seabirds killed.
		2. A steering group of longline fishing industry, AFMA and Environment Australia representatives will guide the implementation of an education strategy, including considering the need for employment of an extension officer.
7. Communicate results of the TAP actions through international conservation and fisheries fora	An Australian representative attends appropriate international commission and convention conferences to present the results of the TAP	1. Australia will communicate results of mitigation trials and promote seabird by-catch mitigation with foreign fishers through international fisheries fora including the CCSBT, CCAMLR, COFI, IOTC and FFC to member and non-member countries.
		2. Environment Australia will communicate the results of seabird by-catch minimisation strategies through relevant international conservation fora including CMS and CCAMLR.

D. Information
Objective	Criteria	Prescribed Actions
8. Collect data on seabird by-catch to assess the performance of mitigation measures and improve knowledge of seabird-longline interactions	Data are collected and analysed from a significant sample of the longline fishing effort in the AFZ to accurately and precisely describe: 1. How many of each seabird species are caught in each longline fishery, area, season and gear type. 2. The time of day/night that longlines are set and hauled.	1. Data sharing arrangements AFMA and Environment Australia have established the framework for a Marine Wildlife/Fisheries Interaction Working Group to establish protocols for data collection and exchange. This group should consider seabird/fisheries interactions data to ensure that data is collected and exchanged in order to assess progress of the Threat Abatement Plan.
		2. AFMA will modify the domestic and foreign pelagic and demersal longline fisheries logbooks and VMS information collection procedures to accurately record: the number of seabirds caught the species of seabirds caught the fishing gear and mitigation measures used and stage of operation when the catch occurred the time of day/night of the line setting and haul date of the catch the location of the catch external factors (weather conditions, moon phase) which may influence by-catch
		3. AFMA will continue observation of Japanese longline fishing operations in the AFZ and will ensure that the information specified for domestic logbooks is collected.
		4. AFMA will develop a domestic pelagic and demersal longline observer program to validate seabird by-catch data collected by the logbook system and address deficiencies in existing programs (described under Objective 8, Action 4). The observers will be responsible for information collection and education. The level and coverage by observers will be determined by AFMA and Environment Australia in consultation with the longline fishing industry. The observer program will be based on a design prepared by an expert consultant.
	All seabirds killed on longlines in the AFZ are collected for analysis to determine their sex, age class and provenance/population.	5. AFMA will recommend to the Minister for Resources and Energy that regulations be made to ensure that all seabirds killed on pelagic or demersal longlines in the AFZ are: reported to AFMA reported to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Schemes if banded collected for scientific analysis stored on board the vessel in manner which will limit decay of the specimen and meet AQIS regulations transported to a storage and analysis facility nominated by Environment Australia All hooked birds must be brought aboard the vessel. No birds are to be cut off the line. Environment Australia will provide seabird collection kits to facilitate handling of seabirds killed on longlines for analysis. Collection procedures will be consistent with AQIS requirements. Environment Australia will arrange for seabird collection points in the major longline fishing ports to store and transport birds collected from longline fishers.
9. Supply and analyse data to assess the performance of mitigation measures and improve knowledge of seabird-longline interactions	Data are supplied within 3 months of the end of a fishing season and analysed appropriately.	1. AFMA will supply seabird by-catch data sourced from logbooks and other methods to Environment Australia in computerised format for analysis on a six monthly basis. These data are to be subject to agreements set out by the Marine Wildlife/Fisheries Interaction Working Group. AFMA is to supply these data within three months of receiving them from fishers.
		2. Environment Australia will analyse the seabird by-catch data collected to assess: seabird by-catch rates by area, season, fishery and fishing method seabird by-catch mitigation effectiveness
		3. Environment Australia, AFMA and industry experts will collaborate to assess the impact of TAP actions on other marine species.
		4. Environment Australia will analyse the seabirds collected to determine: species, subspecies provenance (where possible) age sex breeding status
10. Communicate the results of the Threat Abatement Plan actions to fishers, management agencies and the public	Progress reports	1. Environment Australia will report biannually to the Threat Abatement Team on the analysis of by-catch data and seabirds collected in relation to achieving the objectives of the Threat Abatement Plan.
		2. The Threat Abatement Team will meet at least annually to review the report and revise the actions and priorities of the plan.
		3. AFMA, Environment Australia and DPIE will communicate results of seabird by-catch analysis to fishers through established fora.
		4. The Threat Abatement Team will oversee production of an annual report to communicate progress of the Threat Abatement Plan. Environment Australia will produce the report.

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