Pacific Islands Region Seabird-Fisheries Interaction Recovery Reporting

Seabird mitigation measures to reduce interactions between seabirds and the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery, include a requirement for longline vessel operators to notify NMFS in the event an endangered short-tailed albatross (STAL) is hooked or entangled during fishing operations. Following the retrieval of a STAL from the ocean, as required by Federal regulations, the vessel captain must record the condition of the injured STAL on a recovery data form. The information is used by a veterinarian in providing advice to the captain caring for the STAL. If the albatross is dead, the vessel captain must attach an identification/information tag to the STAL carcass, as well as the specimen bag, to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) biologists in follow-up studies on the specimen. This collection is one of the terms and conditions contained in a biological opinion issued by FWS. Based on public comments and internal review, minor revisions to the Short-tailed Albatross Recovery Data Form have been made.

The latest form for Pacific Islands Region Seabird-Fisheries Interaction Recovery Reporting expires 2021-10-31 and can be found here.