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To deepen the mechanisms to understand the interaction between birds and fisheries and to minimise the problems arising from it, paying special attention to by-catch and the use of discards, promoting 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 disseminating the collaborative work underway.

Specific objectives of the project:

(OE1) Promote and encourage the involvement of the fisheries sector in data collection and the development and implementation of management measures, through awareness-raising, training and training, collaborative work, provision of tools, and exploration of inclusive governance mechanisms;

(OE2) Improve information gaps that prevent an adequate assessment of bird-fishery interactions (in particular fishing effort, occurrence of bycatch, discard supply);

(OE3) Advance in the development of mitigation measures to minimize accidental bird catches through a collaborative approach, promoting the exchange of experiences between regions;

(OE4) To 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 publicising the different initiatives underway.

The project has six activities. It is proposed to work in the field with the sector to assess the incidence of bycatch (A1) and explore solutions (A2), as well as to study the implications of the reduction of discards on birds (A3); the testing of a mobile App stands out, as well as addressing the issue of discards.
This work will be complemented with training support through talks on the interaction between birds and fishing and their relationship with the RN2000 in regulated training courses for students and/or professionals in the sector, and involvement in projects for the management of protected areas already underway (A4); and with an itinerant exhibition that disseminates the values and problems of seabirds and collaborative work with the sector, paying particular attention to RN2000. Finally, the project will be disseminated through different communication channels and support materials.

To assess the occurrence of bycatches, data collection notebooks were distributed to 36 professional fishing vessels, mainly bottom longlines and small gear, in 17 Mediterranean ports (Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands) and Galicia, totalling 1,935 fishing days. There were 95 accidental captures of seabirds, mainly shearwaters in the Mediterranean and shag in Galicia.

The estimate of the annual fishing effort by fishing gear revealed a general decrease in fishing effort in the Mediterranean, but an increase in the billet, which could lead to an increase in the accidental catches of shearwaters, the most caught in this gear.

The refinement and on-site testing of mitigation measures tested in previous projects continued, and an experience-sharing workshop was organized to share the views of fishermen from different areas. A mobile application was also developed to facilitate data collection in the future, reaching a greater number of fishermen.

In terms of discard use, the trawl fleet and catches have suffered a marked decline over the past 20 years, suggesting a reduction in the availability of discards for birds, despite remaining an important resource for birds.

Initiatives were supported to explore fisheries co-management and protected area management, an approach that could be of great help in collaboratively addressing the problem of by-catch.

A traveling exhibition, “Birds, our eyes in the sea”, was prepared to publicize the collaborative work underway. The exhibition was presented in four locations in Galicia, Madrid and Catalonia, and it is estimated that more than 5,200 people visited it. Beyond the exhibition, the dissemination of the project through the web, media, distribution of informative materials and presentations, both in scientific forums and aimed at the general public, had a considerable reach, reaching more than one million people.