Beached birds: a guide used by north pacific groundfish observers to identify seabirds incidentally caught in fisheries

In the fall of 2002, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) purchased 300 copies of Beached Birds for use by North Pacific Groundfish Observers deployed on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. This new guide replaces a dichotomous key on looseleaf paper with black and white drawings. The purpose of using this new educational tool is to enhance the ability of fishery observers to accurately identify seabirds as they come up in the sampled fishing gear, typically wet and bedraggled birds---appearances much different than living specimens. A description of Beached Birds is provided as well as how this guide has been incorporated into observer training and data collection at the NMFS North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program. A copy of Beached Birds is available in the CCAMLR Library.