National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries.

This National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (2007) provides an assessment of bycatch levels of seabirds within Canada’s longline fisheries, identifies priorities for the NPOA, highlights Canada’s current legislative framework and international commitments, reviews Canada’s integrated fisheries management framework, and presents a series of actions for better identifying bycatch levels and further enhancing efforts to reduce the incidental capture of seabirds.
Existing gaps and remedial steps identified in the document include: 1) Enhance Coordination of Canada’s Approach - To enhance cooperation among government agencies responsible for seabirds and marine fisheries management in Canada, as well as with the longline fishing industry, in order to ensure that efficient, effective and economically viable measures are taken to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds. 2) Adoption of an Ecosystem Approach and the Precautionary Approach as Key Elements of Fisheries Management Renewal - To incorporate management tools that reflects the modern conservation objectives of DFO, in particular, through the delivery of Fisheries Management Renewal and the adoption of an ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach to the management of Canada’s fisheries; 3) Review and Enhance Observer Programs - To conduct periodic reviews and assessments of the effectiveness of Canada's observer program with respect to the monitoring of seabird bycatch and, in particular, reviewing and developing means to enhance the accuracy of data collected through existing programs. 4) Promote Mitigation Measures to Reduce Seabird Bycatch in Longline Fisheries - To address seabird bycatch through the implementation of mitigating measures where information indicates unacceptable levels of incidental take of seabirds in longline fisheries; 5) Improve Knowledge of Seabird Distributions in Canadian Waters - To increase the data available on the offshore distribution and abundance of marine seabirds in order to identify and minimize the impact of human activities on birds at sea, including the impact of the Canadian longline fishery; 6) Enhance Outreach and Education Efforts in Canada - To inform Canadians, especially fishers, as to why Canada has developed an NPOA-Seabirds, and to raise awareness of the importance of taking action to reduce seabird bycatch and mortality; 7) Conduct a Reassessment of Incidental Take at the National Level - To conduct a reassessment of the incidental bycatch of seabirds in the Canadian longline fishery based on new data and the implementation of key actions in Canada's NPOA, including specific risk assessments to populations known to be threatened; etc. The document also envisages initiatives at international level, collaborations with other states and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).