The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is currently holding the Seventh Regular Session of its Scientific Committee in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia from 7-19 August.
At the meeting four Working Papers will be discussed that relate to aspects of the non-target mortality of seabirds, including ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels.
A list of these papers follows:
Y. Inoue, K. Yokawa, H. Minami, D. Ochi, N. Sato & N. Katsumata: Distribution of seabird bycatch at WCPFC and the neighboring area of the southern hemisphere. EB-WP-07
E. Melvin, T. Guy & N. Sato: Preliminary Report of 2010 Weighted Branch-line Trials in the Tuna Joint Venture Fishery in the South African EEZ. EB-WP-08.
H. Minami, D. Ochi & N. Sato : A comparison of two blue-dyed bait types for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in the experimental operations of the Japanese southern bluefin tuna longline. EB-WP-09.
K. Bigelow: Seabird interaction rates estimated from observer data (2004-2011) in the Hawaii-based shallow and deep-set longline fisheries. EB-WP-10.
ACAP is being represented at the WCPFC Scientific Committee meeting by its Executive Secretary, Warren Papworth.
John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 August 2011