Rome, 9 March 2007 – The plight of the
world’s seabirds was a key agenda item at the week-long meeting of the
UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Committee on Fisheries,
ending in Rome today.
At the meeting, BirdLife – with
backing from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and the USA
– secured the Committee’s support for the development of ‘best-practice
guidelines’ for National Plans of Action to help reduce seabird
bycatch.
“Seabirds, particularly albatrosses, are facing
immense threats, more so than any other group of birds in the world,”
said Dr Ben Sullivan, BirdLife International’s Global Seabird Programme
Coordinator. “It’s a genuinely good result that the world’s fishing
nations have recognised the importance of developing best practices to
assist them in reducing the impact of their fisheries on seabirds.”
Of
the 21 albatross species, nineteen are threatened with extinction.
Seabird bycatch in longline fisheries, where seabirds swallow baited
hooks and drown, is a major threat to many of these species.
At
the meeting, the FAO announced their support for a consultation of
Member states that will become the first step toward definitive
‘best-practice guidelines’ for reducing seabird bycatch and halting the
decline of many albatross and petrel populations.
Once agreed,
the guidelines will be a valuable tool for implementing the FAO Code of
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, helping Member states create more
robust National Plans of Action that promote the use of mandatory and
voluntary mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch. They will also
give guidance to Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs),
the bodies responsible for the management of high seas fisheries and
highly migratory fish stocks, on more effective measures to reduce
seabird bycatch in their fisheries.
“It’s crucial that these measures are stringent, with clearly defined timelines and realistic bycatch targets.” added Sullivan.
“The
result? A greater number of environmentally-savvy fisheries with clear
focus on reducing seabird deaths; a better deal for seabirds.”
As
well as longlining, there was support at the meeting for the guidelines
to include a focus on other fishing practices that impact seabird
populations, particularly from trawl fisheries, where birds are killed
by colliding with tow-cables or by becoming entangled in nets.
“Hopefully
the outcomes of this meeting will be a huge stride forward in our
efforts to save these magnificent animals.” finished Sullivan.