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title: "BirdLife International\'s Albatross Task Force tests bird-scaring lines off Uruguay with success"
---

# BirdLife International's Albatross Task Force tests bird-scaring lines off Uruguay with success

BirdLife International's [Albatross Task Force](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/taskforce/) now operates in seven southern hemisphere fishing nations in Africa and South America.  One of these is Uruguay where recent at-sea experiments have confirmed the value of deploying bird-scaring ("Tori") lines behind pelagic longliners to reduce the mortality of albatrosses and petrels.

 Two recent reports of this success by ATF-Uruguay members Martin Abreu and Sebastián Jiménez may be read on the [Task Force Blog](http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/albatross/).

 Sebastián reports that in 2009-2010 ATF Uruguay completed eight fishing trips on commercial longliners.  During days when longline gear was set without using a bird-scaring line 25 birds were caught.  However, with longlines set under the protection of a bird-scaring line not a single bird was killed.  In support of this positive finding Martin went to sea on a research vessel and again deployment of a bird-scaring line resulted in no mortalities, although when not used, birds were killed.  Work is now planned for 2011 to reduce the chances of the longline and bird-scaring line becoming entangled.  Use of a weak link on the bird-scaring line that canj break when an entanglement occurs has shown promise in this regard.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White_capped/white_capped_alb_male_bird_island_by_richard_phillips11.jpg "White-capped Albatrosses occur in Uruguayan waters.  Photograph by Richard Phillips")

 The Uruguayan Albatross Task Force team is employed by Proyecto Albatros y Petreles - Uruguay and works closely with the National Programme of Observers Onboard the Tuna Fleet (Programa Nacional de Observadores a Bordo de la Flota Atunera Uruguaya ([PNOFA](http://www.dinara.gub.uy/web_dinara/index.php?option=com_content&id=179)) and the Pelagic Resources Department (Departamento de Recursos Pelágicos) of the National Direction of Aquatic Resources (Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos; [DINARA](http://www.dinara.gub.uy/web_dinara/)).

 [Click here](http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU09048.htm) to access a scientific publication by Proyecto Albatros y Petreles - Uruguay on interactions of seabirds with the Uruguayan longline fishing fleet.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 January 2011*