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Prior to a recent meeting of the European Commission's Agriculture & Fisheries Council in Brussels, Belgium calls (click here) have been made by NGOs for the Council to adopt measures to reduce seabird mortality from longlining in European (including Mediterranean) waters, especially of Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea and Balearic Puffinus mauretanicus and Yelkouan or Mediterranean P. yelkouan Shearwaters.

Although not currently ACAP-listed species, these three shearwater species have been identified by ACAP's Advisory Committee as potential candidates for listing (click here).

Additionally, the United Kingdom's Fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, has been reported as saying (click here) that it was a tragedy that so many seabirds were lost each year in fishing operations that were placing a considerable strain on their populations.  He noted the work that was taking place in the Southern Ocean but stated that action in Europe was long overdue and that he therefore supported the need for an EU Seabird Plan of Action.

Following the Council meeting the Commission will launch a study to collect data next year, as a first step towards fully addressing fishing's effects on seabird populations (click here).

See also:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-bycatch-downed-by-industrial-fishing-1828765.html

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 November 2009