The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has launched a new initiative to combat bycatch of albatrosses and other seabirds in global longline fisheries.
A team of experts called Operation Ocean Task Force will train fishermen in areas with particularly high levels of bycatch how to prevent seabird deaths when fishing.
Every year, around 100,000 albatrosses are caught and drowned in longline fisheries. Today, 19 of the 21 albatross species are threatened with extinction. Many of the deaths could be prevented by using fairly simple measures such as weighting of lines, but fishermen are often unaware of this.
BirdLife International and RSPB have been campaigning for many years to end bycatch of albatrosses and other seabird in longline fisheries. They want the longline fishing fleets to use mitigation measures that would prevent the birds from getting caught. They also want to eliminate pirate fishing, as these vessels are not adhering to international efforts to adress the problem. The new Task Force will provide an important step in this direction.