---
title: "Uruguay reports on its updated National Plan of Action to Reduce Seabird Bycatch at ACAP’s Seabird Bycatch Working Group this week"
---

# Uruguay reports on its updated National Plan of Action to Reduce Seabird Bycatch at ACAP’s Seabird Bycatch Working Group this week

Sebastián Jiménez ([Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos](http://www.dinara.gub.uy/) , Montevideo, Uruguay) and colleagues will be tabling an Information Paper (SBWG7 Inf 23.5) at the [Seventh Meeting](http://www.acap.aq/en/documents/working-groups/seabird-bycatch-working-group/seabird-bycatch-wg-meeting-7) of ACAP’s [Seabird Bycatch Working Group](http://www.acap.aq/en/documents/working-groups/seabird-bycatch-working-group) in Chile this week that reports on Uruguay’s update of its National Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (previously reported in *ACAP Latest News* – [click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/2254-uruguay-publishes-its-revised-fao-national-plan-of-action-seabirds?highlight=WyJqaW1cdTAwZTluZXoiXQ==)).

 ![](http://acap.aq/images/Uruguay_2015.jpg)

 The Information Paper’s summary follows:

 “Uruguay has recently revised the NPOA-Seabirds.  The NPOA-Seabirds 2015 establishes the following mitigation measures.  Vessels operating with pelagic longline: obligatorily use of I) night setting in combination with at least one of the following two measures: II) bird scaring line and / or III) weight ≥60 g attached in the branch lines within 1 m of the hook.  Vessels operating with demersal longline fishing for Patagonian toothfish (*Dissostichus eleginoides*) and related species: i) Mammals and Birds Excluding Device (DEMA, i.e. drop lines with nets) or II) minimum weight on the line that ensures sink rate ≥ 0.3m/s at 10 m depth, in combination with one of the following two measures: A) bird scaring line or B) night setting.  In the event that other demersal longline or semi-pelagic fisheries start operating in the near future, mitigation measures are as follow: I) minimum weight on the line in combination with one of the following two measures: A) bird scaring line or B) night setting.  The impact of the trawl fishery for Argentinean hake (*Merluccius hubbsi*) is currently under research.  Under a precautionary approach, to reduce seabird mortality in trawl cables the use of the following mitigation measures is recommended: I) bird scaring line and II) reduce discards.  In order to reduce the capture of birds on the net the following measures are recommended: I) cleaning up the net before setting and II) reduce the exposure time of the net on the surface of the sea.”

 ![](http://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/Sebastian_Jimenez_AC9.jpg) 

 Sebastián Jiménez  holds up a copy of Uruguay's revised NPOA-Seabirds at the Chile meeting 

 **References:**

 Domingo, A., Forselledo, R., Jiménez, S. (Eds). 2015.  [Revisión de planes de acción nacional para la conservación de aves marinas y condrictios en las pesquerías uruguayas](http://www.dinara.gub.uy/files/Publicaciones/Pesca/PAN_28-8-2015.pdf).  Montevideo: Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos.  196 pp

 Domingo, A., Jiménez, S. & Passadore, A. 2006 (online) & 2007 (paper).  [Plan de Acción Nacional para Reducir la Captura Incidental de Aves Marinas en las Pesquerías Uruguayas](http://acap.aq/ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/DOCUMENT/IPOAS/national/uruguay/PAN_AvesMarinasUruguay_final.pdf). Dirreción Nacional de Recurcos Acuáticos.  75 pp.

 Jiménez, S., Pin, O. & Domingo, A. 2015.  [Plan de Acción Nacional para Reducir la Captura Incidental de Aves Marinas en las Pesquerías Uruguayas, 2015](http://www.dinara.gub.uy/files/Publicaciones/Pesca/PAN_28-8-2015.pdf).  In: Domingo, A., Forselledo, R. & Jiménez, S. (Eds).  *Revisión de Planes de Acción Nacional para la Conservación de Aves Marinas y Condrictios en las Pesquerías Uruguayas*.  Montevideo: Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos.  pp. 11-79.

 Jiménez, S., Pin, O. & Domingo, A. 2016.  *Revised National Plan of Action to Reduce Seabirds Bycatch in Uruguayan fisheries (NPOA-Seabirds 2015)*.  Seventh Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group La Serena, Chile, 2 - 4 May 2016.  [SBWG7 Inf 23. 5 pp.](http://www.acap.aq/en/documents/working-groups/seabird-bycatch-working-group/seabird-bycatch-wg-meeting-7/sbwg7-information-papers/2736-sbwg7-inf-23-revised-national-plan-of-action-to-reduce-seabirds-bycatch-in-uruguayan-fisheries-npoa-seabirds-2015/file)

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 May 2016*