IB 15-31: NMFS Reports the Incidental Take of a Short-Tailed Albatross in the BSAI Hook-and-Line Groundfish Fishery

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reports the incidental take of an endangered short-tailed albatross (STAL) in the hook-and-line groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The bird was taken on December 16, 2014 at 56°57”06’ N and 168°24”30’ W in NMFS reporting area 513 (see Figure 1). The STAL take was not reported to the NMFS observer on the vessel, nor was the bird retained by the vessel crew. The bird was later identified by NMFS as a STAL with the assistance of seabird experts who reviewed video of the bird taken onboard the vessel. The last two documented STAL takes in Alaska were in September 2014. More >>>