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BirdLife International through its Global Seabird Programme is to join with the Republic of Korea and a Korean tuna fishing company to conduct experimental research on a Korean tuna longliner into mitigating seabird bycatch more effectively.

In 2012 the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) passed a resolution that required longliners operating in areas south of 25°S to adopt the three “best-practice” mitigation measures of setting lines at night, using a bird-scaring line and  adding weights to increase sink rate (click here).

Followng  IOTC Resolution 12-06 on Reducing the Incidental Bycatch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries, the Korean authority has started sea trials to ensure the safety and practicality of these measures along with Sajo Industries, one of Korea’s leading tuna longline industries.  Leandro Tamini of BirdLife’s Albatross Task Force is due to board a Sajo Industry tuna longliner in the southern Indian Ocean to commence at-sea trials this month.  It is intended that results of the trials, which will include the use of “safe leads”, will be presented to the next meeting of the IOTC Scientific Committee.

Safe leads reduce injury risk to fishers.  Photograph by Graham Robertson

Click here to read more on this initiative.

Selected Reference:

Sullivan, B.J., Kibel, P., Robertson, G., Kibel, B., Goren, M., Candy, S.G. & Wienecke, B. 2012.  Safe Leads for safe heads: safer line weights for pelagic longline fisheries.  Fisheries Research 134-136: 125-132. 

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer 19 July 2013