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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the impact of long-line fishing nets on albatross populations; and what progress she has made in eliminating these nets. [193671] Mr. Morley: It is estimated by Birdlife International that 270,000 albatrosses and petrels die annually from long-line fishing. We are working with our international partners to address the threats these birds face from it. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has an international action plan on seabirds which contains measures to reduce the incidental catch from this type of fishing. The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), which came into force in February this year, requires its parties to support the FAO plan. The first meeting of parties is taking place this month and we will play an active part. We are also keen to encourage other range states to follow our example by ratifying the agreement. The FAO also has another international plan, which the UK was instrumental in negotiating, to tackle threats from pirate fishing; and we lead an international taskforce, drawn up under the auspices of OECD, looking at how best to take this forward. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), to which we are a party, supplements these international efforts, requiring all vessels operating in the Antarctic seas to attach a bird "scarers" to their fishing lines, sink their lines, and fish at night, as most birds fish during day- light hours. The vessels also have an observer on board to monitor compliance.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c980W;426 c984W; 193671

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Birds Nature conservation Albatrosses

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk