"I don't recall a single seabird being caught in our fishing. I would not expect to see many caught with this type of fishing gear either. I do not recall that the issue ever came up in reference to South Pacific long line fisheries, although the bicatch of turtles was certainly an issue."
Nigel Brothers, in 1991, calculated that the Japanese Southern Bluefin Tuna Longline fishery OFF AUSTRALIA ALONE killed c.44 000 albatrosses annually.
At the Albatross Conference held in Hobart in 1995, longlining was a major topic of concern.
Regards Ross
Ross Wanless Scientific Officer, World Seabird Conservation Project Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town Phone: +2721 6502330, Fax: +2721 650 3726 email: [log in to unmask]
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