Seabird avoidance measures for groundfish hook-and-line vessels fishing in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska were first required in 1997 to mitigate fishery interactions with the short-tailed albatross and other seabird species.
The presence of "free" food in the form of offal and bait attracts many birds to fishing operations. In past years, more than 20,000 seabirds were hooked annually in groundfish fisheries off Alaska.
Learn more about EcoCast—a dynamic ocean management tool that aims to minimize fisheries bycatch and maximize fisheries target catch in near real time.
Seabirds are a vital part of marine ecosystems and valuable indicators of ecosystem health. Most of the 312 species of seabirds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and some are endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
