Seabird mortality associated with Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) longliners in Falkland Islands waters

Abstract

Seabird mortality in longline fishing has been implicated in the decline of many populations around the world. The population of the Black-browed Albatross breeding in the Falkland Islands has been estimated to have declined by 87500 pairs between 1995 and 2000. The observed mortality in the Patagonian Toothfish longline fishery in Falkland Islands waters in 2001–02 was 29 seabirds, including 27 Black-browed Albatrosses, giving an estimated total mortality of 134 (95% confidence limits 80–188) birds, including 126 (75–177) Black-browed Albatrosses. This suggests that this fishery in Falkland Islands waters is currently not contributing substantially to observed declines in the local populations. Nevertheless, mortality could be further reduced by night setting and an increase in line weighting, especially during the breeding season of the Black-browed Albatross.