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Español The Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is meeting this week in Lankanfinolhu, North Malé Atoll, Republic of Maldives (click here for the meeting's agenda).
Topics being discussed include reviewing new information on the status of seabirds, new National Plans of Action for reducing incidental catches of seabirds in longline fisheries, research on interactions between seabirds and tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean, identification sheets for observers, and reviewing previous IOTC Resolutions and Recommendations on seabirds. Recommendations for the IOTC's Scientific Committee will be an important product of the meeting.
Documents under discussion that deal with seabirds at the meeting include:
ACAP 2011. Review of seabird bycatch mitigation measures for pelagic longline fisheries. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-43. 14 pp.
ACAP 2011. Summary best practice advice for reducing the impact of pelagic longline gear on seabirds. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-44. 4 pp.
Ahi Enterprises 2011. Smart Tuna Hook. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-INF13. 4 pp.
Delord, K. & Weimerskirch, H. 2011. New information on distribution of albatrosses and petrels breeding in the Indian Ocean and assessment of potential overlap with the IOTC fisheries. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-38. 16 pp.
Hsiang-Wen Huang 2011. Bycatch of high sea longline fisheries and measures taken byTaiwan: actions and challenges. Marine Policy 35: 712-720. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-INF12.
Inoue, Y., Yokawa, K., Minami, H. & Ochi, D. 2011. Preliminary view of bycatch hotspot: bycatch distribution in the IOTC area of the southern hemisphere. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-40. 20 pp.
IOTC Secretariat 2011. Status of development and implementation of National Plans of Action for seabirds and sharks. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-12. 5 pp.
IOTC Secretariat 2011. Status of Seabirds in the Indian Ocean IOTC-2011-WPEB07-16. 10 pp.
Løkkeborg, S. 2011. Best practices to mitigate seabird bycatch in longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries - efficiency and practical applicability. Marine Ecology Progress Series 435: 285-303. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-INF11.
Melvin, E., Guy, T. & Sato, N. 2011. Preliminary Report of 2010 Weighted Branchline Trials in the Tuna Joint Venture Fishery in the South African EEZ. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-54. 14 pp.
Tuck, G.N., Thomson, R.B., Barbraud, C., Delord, K., Louzao, M. & Weimerskirch, H. 2011. Modelling work on Crozet wandering albatrosses and impact of longline fisheries in the IOTC zone. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-41. 20 pp.
Wanless, R. & Small, C. 2011. Observer Programmes in RFMOs: a perspective from the BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-42. 4 pp.
Weimerskirch, H., Delord, K. & Thiebot, J.B. 2011. National Plan of Action for the conservation of the Amsterdam albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis: potential risks from long line fisheries in the IOTC zone. IOTC-2011-WPEB07-39. 14 pp.
ACAP is being represented at the meeting by its Technical Advisor, Barry Baker.
John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 October 2011