Predators

Cat Predation

Cats and Birds: A Deadly Combination

In Wisconsin alone, rural cats are estimated to kill between 8 million and 219 million birds annually (Coleman and Temple 1996).

If you are a cat owner or a bird lover (or both), this may be a subject about which you would like to be better informed. The following Internet sites are good direct or indirect sources of information about the impacts of feral cats on wild bird populations, and what responsible cat owners can do to help reduce this source of mortality.

 Cats and Wildlife Issues - Bibliography and extensive list of on-line sources from the California Department of Fish and Game

 Cats Indoors! - An initiative of the American Bird Conservancy

FAO Consultaion on Reduction of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries

Since the 1990s, scientists have been concerned about the impact to seabirds of longline fisheries around the world. Seabird bycatch in fisheries also has an adverse impact on productivity and profitability. Governments, nongovernmental organizations, and commercial fishery associations are working together to develop measures to reduce seabird mortality in longline fisheries.

Seabirds most frequently affected by longline fisheries are albatrosses and petrels in the South Pacific and South Atlantic fisheries, Northern fulmar in the North Atlantic and albatrosses, gulls and fulmars in the North Pacific fisheries.

Responding to the need to reduce commercial fishing related seabird mortality in the Southern Oceans, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources adopted mitigation measures in 1992 to reduce seabird bycatch by its 23 member countries. Under the auspices of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), Australia, Japan and New Zealand have taken seabird mitigation measures in their southern bluefin tuna longline fishery.

In 1995 CCSBT adopted the recommendation that stipulates the policy on data and information collection, mitigation measures and education, and information dissemination regarding seabird bycatch in longline fisheries. The U.S. also adopted, seabird bycatch reduction measures for its groundfish longline fisheries in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska in 1997, and is considering adopting regulations for its halibut fishery. Contacts