Line of action:

Marine ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2022

Project web page:

General Objective:

To deepen the mechanisms to understand the interaction between birds, fisheries, and aquaculture and to minimise the problems arising from it, paying special attention to by-catch, trying to promote the involvement and training of the fishing sector and paying particular attention to the Natura 2000 Network in the Mediterranean and the Iberian Atlantic. As well as, to disseminate the collaborative work underway, and to contribute to the development of protocols and indicators that facilitate the evaluation work by the administrations.

Specific objectives:

• Promote and encourage the involvement of the fisheries sector in the collection of data and the development and implementation of management measures. This will be done through awareness-raising, training and education, collaborative work, provision of tools, and exploration of inclusive governance mechanisms, with special attention to protected areas.
• Advance in the development of mitigation measures to minimise accidental captures of birds through a collaborative approach, and improve action protocols for the capture of live birds, as well as study the possible post-capture effects.
• To support public administrations in the assessment of the problem of seabird bycatch, contributing to the improvement of protocols and indicators, which allow them to adequately comply with the commitments adopted by the Spanish State at European and international level.
• Explore the interaction between seabirds and aquaculture (marine fish farming) through a collaborative approach.
• Disseminate and raise awareness among the general public, and the fishing sector in particular, about the problems associated with the interaction between birds and fisheries, with special emphasis on RN2000 and publicizing the different initiatives underway to seek solutions based on collaborative work.

1. Consolidation of participatory methods for recording and evaluating incidental catches of seabirds.
2. Marking and handling of accidentally caught seabirds
3. Implementation and improvement of measures to mitigate incidental catches of seabirds.
4. Preliminary assessment of the interaction between seabirds and aquaculture (marine fish farms).
5. Support to administrations in the recording of information on by-catch of seabirds and the use of indicators.
6. Virtual and travelling exhibition on seabirds, fishing and RN2000 (Natura 2000 Network).
7. Communication actions.

1. Information on accidental catches of birdshas been collected through the fishing sector in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Galicia, as has been done in previous editions. The data has been provided in two ways:

• From notebooks, delivered by SEO/BirdLife and filled in by the fishermen.
• Through the new Bycatch app, with the collaboration of more than 50 boats.

In addition, a poster has been used to present the results of the monitoring of previous projects at the 25th Spanish Ornithology Congress, held in November 2022.

2. The Bycatch apphas been presented for the registration of accidental catches of marine fauna aimed at the fishing sector, carrying out use tests.

3. 17 Balearic shearwaters have been tagged with remote tracking GPS devicesin a colony in Menorca and in the sea in Barcelona, which has made it possible to study their feeding and breeding areas, as well as their routes, migration patterns, and possible threats they face, mainly in relation to fishing.

4. Kits to facilitate the handling and release of live caught birds have been distributed to palangrillo fishermen, as well as organic cotton t-shirts, hats and cloth bags from the project.

5. As in previous projects, the tests of mitigation measures in the palangrillo have continued and extended, evaluating the effectiveness of the modification of the weight configuration, the use of a kite and a scarecrow line in Ibiza, Catalonia and Galicia.

6. A preliminary assessment of theinteraction between birds and aquaculture has been carried out through 20 surveys of companies in the sector.

7. It has contributed to the systematization of data collection protocols and the use of by-catch indicators, participating in various forums at national and international level, and organizing a seminarfor fisheries inspectors and observers.
8. The travelling exhibition Birds, our eyes in the seahas been circulated in Galicia (O Grove), Catalonia (Sitges and Palamós) and Asturias (Cabo de Peñas). In addition, an animation and an interactive virtual version of it have been created that allows it to be viewed online by anyone interested.