Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:07:40.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assessing the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on albatrosses and petrels in the southwest Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2010

Sebastián Jiménez ,
Martín Abreu ,
Maite Pons ,
Mauricio Ortiz  and
Andrés Domingo
Sebastián Jiménez
Affiliation:
Proyecto Albatros y Petreles – Uruguay, Avenida Giannattasio Km. 30.500, El Pinar, Canelones, Uruguay Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, CP 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay Sección Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá, 4225 Montevideo, Uruguay
Martín Abreu
Affiliation:
Proyecto Albatros y Petreles – Uruguay, Avenida Giannattasio Km. 30.500, El Pinar, Canelones, Uruguay Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, CP 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay
Maite Pons
Affiliation:
Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, CP 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay Sección Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá, 4225 Montevideo, Uruguay
Mauricio Ortiz
Affiliation:
National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami Laboratory, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami FL 33149, USA
Andrés Domingo
Affiliation:
Proyecto Albatros y Petreles – Uruguay, Avenida Giannattasio Km. 30.500, El Pinar, Canelones, Uruguay Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, CP 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay
Get access

Abstract

The black-browed (Thalassarche melanophrys) and Atlantic yellow-nosed (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) albatrosses and the white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) are the seabird species most frequently captured by pelagic longline fisheries in the southwest Atlantic. This study estimates this type of bycatch and describes the spatial-temporal patterns of the incidental capture of these species by the Uruguayan pelagic longline fleet, based on data collected by scientific observers on 47 fishing trips from 2004 to 2007. Three generalized linear models (GLM) models were employed to predict bycatch for each species based on the observed data. We also developed a spatio-temporal species-specific analysis. Captures were recorded in Uruguayan waters, mainly over the slope and depth waters, and in international waters adjacent to Uruguay, the north of Argentina, and the south of Brazil. The highest catch rates for black-browed albatrosses and white-chinned petrels were recorded on the Uruguayan slope from fall to spring, while the highest values for Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses were recorded further to the north, in the international waters off Brazil in late winter. The average estimated number of black-browed and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses and white-chinned petrels caught during the study period was 1683, 257 and 239 birds, respectively. Taking into account the total effort of the fleet, these values represent an estimated catch rate of 0.276, 0.042, and 0.039 birds/1000 hooks for these species, respectively. The results of the present study suggest that the annual impact of this fishery is medium to high on the black-browed albatross, low on the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross and low on the white-chinned petrel. However, the situation of these species in the southwest Atlantic should be viewed with considerable concern, as our understanding of the impact of the bycatch on their populations requires more research. Any effort to reduce seabird mortality in the southern hemisphere should target this geographic region.

Keywords

Seabird bycatch estimationAlbatrossesPetrelsPelagic longlineSouth Atlantic Ocean
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , January 2010 , pp. 49 - 64
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander K., Robertson G., Gales R., 1997, The incidental mortality of albatrosses in longline fisheries. Tasmania, Australian Antarctic Division.
Baker, G.B., Double, M.C., Gales, R., Tuck, G.N., Abbott, C.L., Ryan, P.G., Petersen, S.L., Robertson, C.J.R., Alderman, R., 2007, A global assessment of the impact of fisheries-related mortality on shy and white-capped albatrosses: Conservation implications. Biol. Conserv. 137, 319–333. CrossRef
Benito Garzón, M., Blazek, R., Neteler, M., Sánchez de Dios, R., Sainz Ollero, H., Furlanello, C., 2006, Machine learning models for predicting species habitat suitability: an example with Pinus sylvestris L. for the Iberian peninsula. Ecol. Model. 197, 383–393. CrossRef
Berrow, S.D., Croxall, J.P., Grant, S.D., 2000, Status of white-chinned petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis Linnaeus 1758, at Bird Island, South Georgia. Antarct. Sci. 12, 399–405. CrossRef
Breiman L., Friedman J.H., Olshen R.A., Stone C.J., 1984, Classification and regression trees. New York, Chapman and Hall.
Brothers N.P., Cooper J., Løkkeborg S., 1999, The incidental catch of seabirds by longline fisheries: worldwide review and technical guidelines for mitigation. Rome, FAO Fish. Circ. No. 937.
Bugoni, L., Mancini, P.L., Monteiro, D.S., Nascimento, L., Neves, T.S., 2008, Seabird bycatch in the Brazilian pelagic longline fishery and a review of capture rates in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Endang. Species Res. 5, 137–147. CrossRef
Bull, L.S., 2007, Reducing seabird bycatch in longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries. Fish Fish. 8, 31–56. CrossRef
Croxall J.P., Gales R., 1998, An assessment of the conservation status of albatrosses. In: Robertson G., Gales R. (Eds.) Albatross Biology and Conservation, Chipping Norton, Surrey Beatty & Sons, pp. 46–65.
Cunningham, R. B., Lindenmayer, D.B., 2005, Modeling count data of rare species: some statistical issues. Ecology 86, 1135–1142. CrossRef
Cuthbert, R., Ryan, P.G., Cooper, J., Hilton, G., 2003, Demography and population trends of the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross. Condor 105, 439–452. CrossRef
Cuthbert, R., Sommer, E., 2004, Population size and trends of four globally threatened seabirds at Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Ornithol. 32, 97–103.
De'ath G., Fabricius K.E., 2000, Classification and regression trees: a powerful yet simple technique for ecological data analysis, Ecology 81, 3178–3192.
Domingo, A., Menni, R.C., Forselledo, R., 2005, Bycatch of the pelagic ray Dasyatis violacea in Uruguayan longline fisheries and aspects of distribution in the southwestern Atlantic. Sci. Mar. 69, 161–166. CrossRef
Dulvy, N.K., Baum, J.K., Clarke, S., Compagno, L.J.V., Cortés, E., Domingo, A., Fordham, S., Fowler, S., Francis, M.P., Gibson, C., Martinez, J.,Musick J.A., Soldo A., Stevens J.D.,Valenti S., 2008, You can swim but you can't hide: the global status and conservation of oceanic pelagic sharks and rays. Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 18, 459–482. CrossRef
Favero, M., Khatchikian, C.E., Arias, A., Silva Rodríguez, M.P., Cañete, G., Mariano-Jelicich, R., 2003, Estimates of seabirds by-catch along the Patagonian shelf by Argentine longline fishing vessels, 1999-2001. Bird Conserv. Int. 13, 273–281. CrossRef
Furness, R.W., 2003, Impacts of fisheries on seabirds communities. Sci. Mar. 67, 33–45. CrossRef
Gales R. 1998, Albatross populations: status and threats. In: Robertson G., Gales R. (Eds.) Albatross biology and conservation, Chipping Norton, Surrey Beatty & Sons, pp. 20–45.
Gandini, P.A., Frere, E., 2006, Spatial and temporal patterns in the bycatch of seabirds in the Argentinean longline fishery. Fish. Bull. 104, 482–485.
Gómez Laich, A., Favero, M., 2007, Spatio-temporal variation in mortality rates of white-chinned petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis interacting with longliners in the south-west Atlantic. Bird. Conserv. Int. 17, 359–366.
Gómez Laich, A., Favero, M., Mariano-Jelicich, R., Blanco, G., Cañete, G., Arias, A., Silva Rodriguez, P., Brachetta, H., 2006, Environmental and operational variability affecting the mortality of black-browed albatrosses associated with long-liners in Argentina. Emu 106, 21–28. CrossRef
Hall, M., Alverson, D.L., Metuzals, K.I., 2000, By-Catch: Problems and solutions. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 41, 204–219. CrossRef
Jiménez, S., Domingo, A., Brazeiro, A., 2009, Seabird bycatch in the Southwest Atlantic: interaction with the Uruguayan pelagic longline fishery. Polar Biol. 32, 187–196. CrossRef
Lambert, D., 1992, Zero-inflated Poisson regression, with an application to defects in manufacturing. Technometrics 34, 1–14. CrossRef
Lewison, R.L., Crowder, L.B., Read, A.J., Freeman, S.A., 2004, Understanding impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine megafauna. Trends Ecol. Evol. 19, 598–604. CrossRef
Littell R.C., Milliken G.A., Stroup W.W., Wolfinger R.D., 1996, SAS® System for Mixed Models. SAS Institute Inc., Cary NC.
Liu H., Chan K.S., 2008, Constrained generalized additive model with zero-inflated data. Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Iowa, Techn. Rep. 388.
Lo, N.C., Jacobson, L.D., Squire, J.L., 1992, Indices of relative abundance from fish spotter data based on delta-lognormal models. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 49, 2515–2526. CrossRef
Martin, A.R., Poncet, S., Barbraud, C., Foster, E., Fretwell, P., Rothery, P., 2009, The white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) on South Georgia: population size, distribution and global significance. Polar Biol. 32, 655–661. CrossRef
McCullagh P, Nelder J.A., 1989, Generalized linear models. Monographs on statistics and applied probability 37. London, Chapman & Hall. 2nd edition.
McCune B., Grace J.B., 2002, Analysis of Ecological Communities. M j M Software Design. Gleneden Beach, Oregon, EEUU.
Nerini, D., Ghattas, B., 2007, Classifying densities using functional regression trees: Applications in Oceanology. Comput. Stat. Data Anal. 51, 4984–4993. CrossRef
Neves T., Olmos F., 1998, Albatross mortality in fisheries off the coast of Brazil. In: Robertson G., Gales R. (Eds.) Albatross biology and conservation, Chipping Norton, Surrey Beatty & Sons, pp. 214–19.
Olmos, F., Bastos, G.C.C., da Silva Neves, T., 2000, Estimating seabird bycatch in Brazil. In Flint E., Swift K. (Eds) Second International Conference on the Biology and Conservation of Albatrosses and other Petrels, Honolulu, Hawaii, 8–12 May 2000. Abstracts of oral and poster presentations. Mar. Ornithol. 28, 141.
Phillips, R.A., Silk, J.R.D., Croxall, J.P., Afanasyev, V., Benett, V.J., 2005, Summer distribution and migration of non- breeding albatrosses: individual consistencies and implications for conservation. Ecology 81, 2386–2396. CrossRef
Phillips, R.A., Silk, J.R. D, Croxall, J.P., Afanasyev, V., 2006, Year-round distribution of white-chinned petrels from South Georgia: Relationships with oceanography and fisheries. Biol. Conserv. 129, 336–347. CrossRef
Prince P.A., Croxall J.P., Trathan P.N., Wood A.G., 1998, The pelagic distribution of South Georgia albatrosses and their relationships with fisheries. In: Robertson G., Gales R. (Eds.) Albatross biology and conservation, Chipping Norton, Surrey Beatty & Sons, pp. 137–167.
R Development Core Team, 2009, R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Available at: http://www.r-project.org/.
Reid, T.A., Lecoq, M., Catry, P., 2007, The white-chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis population of the Falkland Island. Mar. Ornithol. 35, 57–60.
Ridout M., Demetrio C.G.B., Hinde J, 1998, Models for count data with many zeros. International Biometric Conference. Cape Town. December 1998.
Ripley B., 2007, Tree: classification and regression trees. [R package version 1.0-26]. Available at: http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tree/.
Robertson, G., McNeill, M., Smith, N., Wienecke, B., Candy, S., Olivier, F., 2006, Fast sinking (integrated weight) longlines reduce mortality of white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis) and sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) in demersal longline fisheries. Biol. Conserv. 132, 458–471. CrossRef
Robertson G., Gales R., 1998, Albatross biology and conservation. Chipping Norton, Surrey Beatty & Sons.
Seco Pon, J.P., Gandini, P.A., Favero, M., 2007, Effect of longline configuration on seabird mortality in the Argentine semi-pelagic kingclip Genypterus blacodes fishery. Fish. Res. 85, 101–105. CrossRef
Spotila, J.R., Reina, R.R., Steyermark, A.C., Plotkin, P.T., Paladino, F.V., 2000, Pacific leatherback turtles face extinction. Nature 405, 529–530. CrossRef
Stagi A., Vaz-Ferreira R., Marin Y., Joseph L., 1998, The conservation of albatrosses in Uruguayan waters. In: Robertson G, Gales R (Eds.) Albatross biology and conservation. Surrey Beatty, Chipping Norton, pp. 220–224.
Sullivan, B.J., Reid, T.A., Pompert, J., Enticott, J.W., Black, A.D., 2004, Seabird mortality associated with Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) longliners in Falkland Island waters. Emu 104, 317–325.
Vaske T. Jr., 1991. Seabirds mortality on longline fishing for tuna in Southern Brazil. Ciencia e Cultura 43, 388–390.
Vayssières, M.P., Richard, R.E., Allen-Diaz, B.H., 2000, Classification trees: an alternative non-parametric approach for predicting species distribution. J. Veget. Sci. 11, 679–694. CrossRef
Yee T.W. 2008, The VGAM package. R News 8, 28–39.