- Home
- Sustainable Fisheries
- About Sustainable Fisheries
- Fishery Management
- Proposed and Final Rules
- Compliance Guides and
Regulation Summaries - Annual Catch Limits
- Sea Turtle Interactions
- Seabird Interactions
- Seabird Guide
- Recreational Fisheries
- Fishing Permits
- Protected Species Workshop
- Registration and Schedule
- Resource Materials
- Staff Listing
- Resources/Related Links
- International Fisheries
- About International Fisheries
- Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
- South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT)
- South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO)
- High Seas Fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
- Proposed and Final Rules
- Species of Interest
- Boundaries Map
- Fisheries Map
- Documents and Data
- Calendar
- Contact Us
- Links
- Protected Resources
- About Protected Resources
- Hawaiian Monk Seals
- Whales and Dolphins
- Sea Turtles
- Species of Concern
- Corals
- Laws/Policies/Guidelines
- Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- Marine Mammal Response and Rescue
- Protected Resources Outreach and Education
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Staff Listing
- Divisional Organizational Chart
- Habitat Conservation
- Observer Program
- Operations, Management, and Information
- Outreach and Education
- Grants
- Marine National Monument Program
- Press Releases and Media
- Public Documents
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
- Office of Law Enforcement
- FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)
Sustainable Fisheries Division
Longline fishermen may side-set or set from the stern. They must also employ a suite of mitigation measures including:
- Weighted branchlines
- Blue-dyed baits
- Strategic offal discards
- Mandatory night-setting
- Specific baits for swordfish-targeted operation
Seabird Interactions in Hawaii-based Longline Fisheries
Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishermen must comply with NOAA Fisheries Services seabird mitigation measures (50 CFR 665.815).
These measures have reduced incidental interactions with seabirds, primarily North Pacific albatrosses, by over 90 percent. In 2000, it was estimated that the fisheries had 2,433 incidental interactions with albatrosses. Since the seabird mitigation measures became effective in 2002, albatross interactions have been about 10 times fewer per year, compared to year 2000 estimates.
The following documents address the incidental take of seabirds in the Hawaii longline fisheries.
- 2011 Annual Report: Seabird Interactions and Mitigation Efforts in Hawaii Longline Fisheries (November 2012, pdf 1.3 MB)
- 2012 Biological Opinion on the Effects of Hawaii-based Pelagic Longline Fisheries on the Short-tailed Albatross (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, January 6, 2012, pdf 2.0 MB)
- Hawaii Longline Seabird Regulations Quick Guide (July 2010, 92 kB)
- A Fisherman's Guide to Hawaii's Seabirds (pdf 485 kB)
- Short-tailed Albatross Recovery Data Form (pdf 41 kB)
- Final Environmental Impact Statement; Seabird Interaction Avoidance Methods and Pelagic Squid Fishery Management
- Side Setting Brochure (Feb 2005, pdf 560 kB)
- Performance Assessment of Underwater Setting Chutes, Side Setting, and Blue-Dyed Bait to Minimize Seabird Mortality in Hawaii Longline Tuna and Swordfish Fisheries (Aug 2003, pdf 661 kB)
To learn more about seabird identification, handling, and release guidelines, visit the protected species workshop resource page.
For more information on seabird bycatch reduction efforts, visit the NMFS Alaska Region's seabird page.
