Report on seabird by-catch outside the CCAMLR Convention Area recorded in the South African fisheries

Given Resolution 22/XXV, paragraph 3 concerning the mortality of Convention Area Seabirds to the north of the Convention Area and the request by IMAF, SC-CAMLR XXVII/15 (Para 4.3) to report these, this document provides an overview of the South African fishing sectors most likely to impact on these seabirds. A summary is provided of the recorded number of mortalities for each fishery where these data are available. All South African licenced vessels are regulated and permit conditions include regulations to minimise interaction with seabirds. There are five sectors of the South African fisheries that have the greatest potential to impact on seabirds that breed within the CCAMLR Convention Area. The demersal trawl and pelagic longline fisheries are responsible for the highest recorded mortalities of seabirds.  Independent research and measures imposed in the permit conditions for these sectors have appeared to effectively reduce catch rates from the high numbers recorded from 2004.  

The most vulnerable species to interaction in the demersal trawl fishery are Cape (Pintado) petrels, Daption capense. In the pelagic longline fishery, the highest mortality figures were recorded for White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, followed by Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta.