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Commercial and recreational fishers, through lack of experience and advice, are often nervous when dealing with live seabirds that are caught accidentally as part of fishing operations.  Recent reports have confirmed this from both sides of the South Atlantic from observers aboard both trawlers and longliners.  The problem is thought due to a lack of education on how to handle live seabirds properly and/or from being afraid of injury by their sharp beaks, especially from the larger species such as the ACAP-listed albatrosses and giant petrels.

In an attempt to educate fishers (and fishery observers) the Albatross Task Force team, which is part of the Seabird Division of BirdLife South Africa, has produced two cartoons to show how to handle and release a live seabird with a hook in it or that has been retrieved from a trawl.  If the advice given in them is followed birds will be able to be released at sea without facing further injury.

The cartoons are being distributed to commercial fishing vessels, as well as to boat and fishing clubs and to small harbours in southern Africa.

With thanks to Bronwyn Maree and Graham Parker for information.  The cartoons were drawn by Siyafiso Yalo.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 July 2011