CCAMLR

This paper summarises the incidence of entanglements and incidental mortality of birds and seals reported by CCAMLR Members for the CCAMLR Convention Area and adjacent waters from 1985 onwards. A bibliography on entanglement, incidental mortality and effects of marine debris on seabirds and marine mammals is attached. The bibliography includes references taken from papers submitted to CCAMLR.

In recent years, a new longline fishery for the fish Dissostichus eleginoides has developped in the vicinity of South Georgia and Kerguelen islands, two internationally important breeding areas for procellariiform birds. Attractiveness of this fishery for seabirds, together with the incidental capture of birds and a method to reduce mortality were investigated during 13 days of fishing activity in Kerguelen waters in February 1994. Between 100 and 600 seabirds were always observed behind the longline vessel. The main ship-following species were the white-chinned petrel (67% of the counts), the giant petrels (8%) and three species of albatrosses, the wandering (11%), black-browed (6%) and grey-headed (2%) albatrosses. All these species are attracted by sinking hooked baits during line settings, more attempts to feed on baits being made by skilled divers such as the white-chinned petrel (87% of the total number of tries), the black-browed (7%) and the grey-headed (6%) albatrosses, than by species never observed submerged such as the wandering albatross (

Studies carried out over the past three decades in the French austral territories indicate that most albatross and giant petrel populations have markedly declined. Demographic studies indicate that these declines are mainly the result of increased adult mortality. This high rate of mortality has been suspected to be the result of mortality incurred in long-line fisheries. Satellite tracking studies of breeding birds and band recoveries of non breeding birds indicate that during and outside the breeding season these populations are in contact with long-line fisheries, mainly the pelagic Japanese tuna fishery and in a lesser extent the neritic Dissostichus fishery operating in the Kerguelen EEZ. The decrease in the fishing effort of the Japanese fishery during the recent years has probably resulted in the slow recovery of great albatross population. Long-line fisheries are likely to represent a major threat for long-lived seabirds in the southern ocean, especially the tuna fishery for the Indian Ocean populations. Potential threats from the Kerguelen Dissostichus fishery exist but can be minor if measures to reduce mortality continue to be enforced in the EEZ.