Archived News

Cristián Suazo (Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany) and colleagues, writing in the journal Oryx The International Journal of Conservation have looked at the interactions between artisanal fishers setting longlines and seabirds in a remote area in southern Chile by way of interviews and questionnaires.  One ACAP-listed Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris was recorded killed by entanglement with a longline.  “Our observations indicated that the main threats to seabirds were bird hunting, egg collection, and introduction of feral predators at breeding sites of threatened species.”

The paper’s abstract follows

“Interactions between seabirds and commercial fishing activities have been well documented but little information is available regarding the impacts of more traditional fishing practices on seabird populations. We interviewed fishermen, administered questionnaires, and made field-based observations to determine the extent to which artisanal fisheries interact with and affect seabirds in the fjords and channels of the Chonos archipelago in southern Chile. Our surveys indicated a positive perception of seabirds as useful indicators of marine productivity and in their role scavenging fish waste and discards associated with fishing operations. However, the surveys also revealed that fishermen routinely establish seasonal camps for collecting seabird eggs and adults for food or bait and introduce feral predators to seabird breeding colonies on islands. Understanding the traditional practices of fishermen is critical for the future of community-based conservation of the region’s marine resources and biodiversity.”

An artisanal fishing vessel in Chile.  Photograph courtesy of Cristián Suazo

With thanks to Cristián Suazo for information.

Reference:

Suazo, C.G., Schlatter, R.P., Arriagada, A.M., Cabezas, L.A. & Ojeda, J. 2013.  Fishermen’s perceptions of interactions between seabirds and artisanal fisheries in the Chonos archipelago, Chilean Patagonia.  Oryx 47: 184-189.  + one page supplementary material on-line.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 April 2013