Technical Assistance for Hawaii Pelagic Longline Vessels to Change Deck Design and Fishing Practices to Side Set.

摘要

This report presents results of a project of converting vessels in the Hawaii pelagic longline tuna and swordfish fleet to set from the side instead of the conventional position at the stern to reduce seabird bycatch and provide operational benefits. The success of the technical assistance program was due to its timing with the completion of a research experiment, voluntary change to side setting by a portion of the fleet, and a proposed regulatory amendment. Within three months following a successful trial of side setting in the Hawaii longline fleet, which demonstrated side settings effectiveness as a bird avoidance method and commercially viability, ten percent of the fleet voluntarily changed to side setting. This provided further evidence of the potential for side setting to be broadly adopted and assist the Hawaii longline fleet to minimize seabird mortality. This provided the impetus for the Hawaii Longline Association, U.S. NOAA Fisheries, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, and Blue Ocean Institute to collaborate to institute a technical assistance program for additional vessels in the Hawaii fleet to change to side set. The initiation of the assistance program coincided with a proposed amendment to government regulations on avoiding seabird bycatch to allow Hawaii longline vessels to side set in lieu of currently required seabird avoidance methods.