Updating 2015 and 2016 seabird-fishery interaction estimates for the US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic waters

An in press NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Lab Reference report (Sigourney et al. in press) provides bycatch estimates for 10 species of seabirds caught in commercial fisheries off the east coast of the United States during 2015 and 2016. This is an update to Hatch (2017) that conducted a comprehensive analysis of bycatch for 10 species of seabirds across six gear types during 1996 to 2014. During 2015 and 2016 a total of 655 birds were recorded as bycatch in commercial fishing gear, with 579 birds from the northeast region and 76 birds in the mid-Atlantic region. The majority of seabird interactions occurred in gillnets (613) followed by sea scallop dredges (21), bottom otter trawls (16) and paired midwater trawls (5). In 2015, total bycatch estimates among all gear types included 14 (CV=1.02) Common Loons (Gavia immer), 49 (CV=1.01) Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), 9 (CV=0.91) Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus), 1992 (CV=0.06) Great Shearwaters (Puffinus gravis), 185 (CV=0.52) Herring Gulls (Larus smithsonianus), 51 (CV=0.28) Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), 174 (CV=0.41) Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus), 60 (CV=0.92) Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata), 16 (CV=0.62) Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) and 22 (CV=0.51) Common murres (Uria aalge). In 2016, total bycatch estimates among all gear types included 115 (CV=0.42) Common Loons, 20 (CV=0.65) Double-crested Cormorants, 26 (CV=0.68) Great Black-backed Gulls, 1498 (CV=0.10) Great Shearwaters, 121 (CV=0.34) Herring Gulls, 9 (CV=0.76) Northern Fulmars, 89 (CV=0.38) Northern Gannets, 553 (CV=0.19) Red-throated Loons, 81 (CV=0.37) Sooty Shearwaters, and 16 (CV=0.80) Common Murres.

Hatch JM. 2017. Comprehensive estimates of seabird–fishery interactions for the US Northeast and mid‐Atlantic. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2017:1–12.

Sigourney, DB, Orphanides CD, and Hatch JM. In press. Estimates of seabird bycatch in commercial fisheries off the east coast of the United States from 2015 to 2016. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. Xx-xx; xx p. Available from: National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026, or online at https://nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/

Contact: Dr. Debi Palka, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Debra.Palka@noaa.gov