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Troy Guy (Washington Sea Grant, University of Washington, Seattle, USA) and colleagues have published in the journal Fisheries Research on the overlap between the three North Pacific albatrosses and U.S. west coast groundfish and shrimp fisheries.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“We used a combination of seabird data (both fishery-dependent and fishery-independent) and fishing-effort data to evaluate the relative fisheries risk of five west coast groundfish fisheries and one shrimp fishery to black-footed (Phoebastria nigripes), short-tailed (P. albatrus) and Laysan albatrosses (P. immutabilis).  To assess risk, an overlap index was derived as the product of total fishing effort and at-sea survey density of black-footed albatross.  This index was used as the primary tool to estimate overlap with the endangered, relatively rare short-tailed albatross, which show similar habitat utilization from satellite telemetry tracks.  Telemetry data indicate Laysan albatross primarily occur offshore beyond observed fishing effort.  Black-footed and short-tailed albatross-fishery overlap was highest at the shelf-break (201–1000 m) north of 36° N.  Overlap and reported albatross mortality indicate that the sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) longline and Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) catcher-processor fisheries pose the greatest risk to these species; the near-shore rockfish (Seabastes spp.) longline, pink shrimp (Pandalus jordani) trawl, California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) trawl, and non-hake groundfish trawl fisheries pose relatively little risk.  Implementing proven seabird bycatch-reduction measures will likely minimize albatross mortality in the highest-risk fishery, sablefish longline.”

Short-tailed Albatross at sea, photographed by Aleks Terauds

Reference:

Guy, T.J. & 19 others 2013.  Overlap of North Pacific albatrosses with the U.S. west coast groundfish and shrimp fisheries.  Fisheries Research 147: 222-234.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 July 2013