3.11 Pelagic Seabirds
pelagic longline bycatch (especially for Black-capped Petrel, Bermuda Petrel, and Audubon’s Shearwater) (Hunter 2004a) .
3.11.5 Threats and Problems Te major issues facing pelagic seabirds in ofshore and nearshore waters are conficts with fsheries, oil and hazardous mate- rials, and debris ingestion and entangle- ment. Major habitat issues for all species include loss and degradation of habitat. Te Southeastern Waterbird Conservation Plan (Hunter et al. 2006) notes pelagic species are vulnerable to conficts with of-shore fsh- ing gear, colliding with lights on boats and
Northern Gannet (Brian Patteson)
structures during inclement weather, and possibly high mercury contamination in forage (especially fsh). Information about threats that require management action is provided in the following paragraphs and in Chapter 5 (Treats). Fishing Gear. Marine fsheries exact a signifcant toll on ocean-feeding birds through bycatch—the incidental catching and killing of seabirds. Te distribution of many pelagic seabirds overlaps with marine fshing operations making seabird bycatch from longline, demersal longline, trawl, and other pelagic fsheries an important threat (Baker et al. 2007; Watkins et al. 2008; Anderson et al. 2011; Yeh et al 2013) . Te distribution of many seabird species over- laps with pelagic longline fsheries for tuna, tuna-like species, and sharks (Yeh et al. 2013) . Te ICCAT reports that feets from at least 36 countries operating in the Atlantic Ocean were responsible for deploying an average 315 million hooks annually from 2004 to 2008 (ICCAT 2010a; Yeh et al. 2013) . ICCAT identifed 41 seabird populations of 28 species as being at serious risk from ICCAT longline fsheries (ICCAT 2008) . Tese included one critically endangered, seven endangered, and nine vulnerable species as listed by the IUCN (see IUCN Red List, www.redlist.org). Longlines, gillnets, and other fshing gear can prove fatal (Forsell 1999) . In North Carolina, the Red-throated Loon may be the most heavily impacted by gillnets. Excessive bycatch of forage fsh as well as fsheries using the same prey used by waterbirds can reduce the birds’ food supplies. Trawls that afect the sea bottom alter the habitat on which the prey of sea- birds and coastal waterbirds depend.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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