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The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) will hold a two-day technical workshop in Mauritius over 13-14 May 2013 with the support of Japan and BirdLife International. The  main objective of the workshop as set out in the invitation letter from the IOTC’s Executive Secretary is to provide training and demonstrations of practical options for longline fishing vessels to become compliant with IOTC Resolution 12/06 On Reducing the Incidental Bycatch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries that is due to come into force on 1 July 2014.

The workshop will present the three seabird bycatch mitigation measures (bird-scaring lines, line-weighting options and night setting) to fishery managers and key personnel from IOTC Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non Contracting Parties (CPCs). The intention is that the participants will be provided with the necessary tools (including fact sheets, technical specifications, etc.) to assist national fleets to implement the required two-out-of-three mitigation measures appropriately.

Safety and other practical concerns that may be raised in relation to implementation of the seabird bycatch mitigation measure requirements will be discussed.  The workshop will also highlight data collection and reporting obligations relevant to longline fishing in the Southern Ocean to improve the IOTC’s capacity to understand and manage fishing impacts on seabirds.

The benefits and expected outcomes of the workshop are to:

enhance understanding within IOTC pelagic longline fisheries of the issue of seabird bycatch and its impacts on albatross and petrel populations;

familiarize key individuals within the IOTC pelagic longline fisheries of Resolution 12/06 and the need to use two seabird bycatch mitigation measures when fishing south of 25°S;

understand the seabird bycatch mitigation options available;

understand the means available to improve crew safety and address practical concerns;

rnhance communication and relationship-building between fishery managers and seabird bycatch mitigation experts, with channels of communication established for future use;

establish national plans for implementation of Resolution 12/06; and

enhance implementation of Resolution 12/06.

Experts in the field of pelagic seabird bycatch will be present at the workshop to deliver the technical advice. According to the draft agenda for the workshop presentations will include the following:

IOTC Resolution 12/06 and role of tuna longliners in seabird conservation (David Wilson, IOTC Secretariat & Cleo Small, BirdLife International);

Options for seabird bycatch mitigation: night setting, tori line and line weights (Ross Wanless, BirdLife International); and

Theory and practice for Tori/bird-scaring streamer lines (Ed Melvin, University of Washington, USA).

In addition practical demonstrations will be given on the Yamazaki Double Weight System by Ed Melvin and on Safe Leads and Lumo Leads by Ross Wanless.

The technical workshop will follow on from the 17th Session of the Commission, to be held in Grand Baie, Mauritius in the previous week.

Click here to read of the adoption of IOTC Resolution 12/06 in April 2012.

With thanks to Alejandro Anganuzzi, IOTC Executive Secretary & Ross Wanless, BirdLife South Africa for information.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 April 2013