FRATERCULA PUFFIN ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL SET GILLNET FISHING”

Project ID: F24AC02684

Federal Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2024

Initial Funding: $73,925

Total Funding: $73,925

Principal Investigator: Lyons, Don

Agreement Technical Representative: Creighton, Jennifer

Abstract: COMPREHENSIVE THREAT ASSESSMENTS INDICATE FISHERIES-RELATED MORTALITY OR BYCATCH IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE GLOBAL THREATS TO SEABIRDS IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF SPECIES AFFECTED AND MAGNITUDE OF IMPACT (CROXALL ET AL. 2012, DIAS ET AL. 2019). GILLNET FISHERIES IMPACT MORE SEABIRD SPECIES THAN OTHER FISHERIES AND ARE A MAJOR THREAT TO GLOBALLY THREATENED SEABIRDS THAT USE COASTAL HABITATS (DIAS ET AL. 2019). IN ADDITION TO BEING AN EFFECTIVE METHOD TO CATCH FISH, GILLNETS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AT ENTANGLING BIRDS, WHICH ARE USUALLY KILLED BY DROWNING DURING THE SOAKING PERIOD (WIEDENFELD 2016). IN THE MOST RECENT SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT FOR AN ALASKA-BREEDING SEABIRD, THE TUFTED PUFFIN (FRATERCULA CIRRHATA), THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IDENTIFIED MORTALITY FROM SET GILLNET SALMON FISHERIES AS ONE OF THREE MAJOR THREATS IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT THAT COULD IMPACT SPECIES PERSISTENCE (USFWS 2020). THIS STRESSOR LIKELY ALSO PRESENTS A THREAT TO OTHER SEABIRDS OCCUPYING A SIMILAR ECOLOGICAL NICHE. THERE IS INCREASING AWARENESS THAT GILLNET FISHERIES POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO SEABIRDS AROUND THE GLOBE, BUT WE LACK THE DATA NEEDED TO RIGOROUSLY ASSESS THE IMPACTS OF GILLNET BYCATCH TO SEABIRD POPULATIONS (CROXALL ET AL. 2012, BIAS ET AL. 2019). PROJECT OUTCOMES INCLUDE A RISK ASSESSMENT THAT WILL ILLUSTRATE WHERE SEABI