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The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission's Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch (IOTC-WPEB) will hold its 6th Session in Victoria, The Seychelles from 27-30 October 2010 (click here for the meeting agenda).

ACAP will be represented at the meeting by Barry Baker, Convenor of its Seabird Bycatch Working Group and by Karine Delord of the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé in France, and will present a review of bycatch measures for pelagic longlining (IOTC-2010-WPEB-17).  The review suggests that the appropriate configurations of weights on branch lines is currently the most effective means of reducing seabird access to baits, although it still needs to be used in conjunction with other measures, such as bird-scaring lines and night setting.

A paper to be presented by France (IOTC-2010-WPEB-14) demonstrates extensive overlap between IOTC longliners and immature albatrosses and petrels, suggesting that bycatch in the IOTC area is contributing to population declines.

In addition, Australia will present three papers on mitigation research, co-authored by Graham Robertson of the Australian Antarctic Division.

Papers to be presented:

ACAP.   Review of seabird bycatch mitigation measures for pelagic longline fishing operations.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-17.  

Delord, K. & Weimerskirch, H.  New information on the distribution of southern seabirds and their overlap with the IOTC zone: seasonal changes in distribution and the importance of the non-breeders and juveniles in assessing overlap between seabirds and longliners.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-14.

Robertson, G. & Ashworth, P.  Progress report on the development and testing of the underwater bait setter for pelagic longline fisheries.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-08.

Robertson, Candy, S.G. & Wienecke, B.  Effect of line shooter and mainline tension on the sink rates of pelagic longlines and implications for seabird interactions.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-07.

Robertson, G., Candy, S.G., Wienecke, B. & Lawton, K.  Experimental determinations of factors affecting the sink rates of baited hooks to minimise seabird mortality in pelagic longline fisheries.  IOTC-2010-WPEB-06.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 October 2012