Seabird Bycatch publication list

Description

In the early 2000s, WSG was at the forefront of collaborative research that led to Alaska’s longline fisheries adopting streamer lines, a technology that is towed behind vessels to create a visual barrier that keeps seabirds away from the baited hooks below. This work has led to reductions of 77 to 90 percent in the amount of seabird bycatch in Alaska longline fisheries. Below is a bibliography showcasing the depth of this work. 

Summary publications

WSG publications

• Why Avoiding Albatross Bycatch is Important
• Solving Seabird Bycatch in Alaskan Fisheries: A Case Study in Collaborative Research

Other publications

• Rodriguez A et. al (2019) Future directions in conservation research on petrels and shearwaters, Frontiers in Marine Science
• Melvin E (2013) Criteria for best practice seabird bycatch mitigation. SBWG-5 Doc 32, Fifth Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, La Rochelle, France, 1-3 May 2013.
• Melvin EF, Parrish JK (2003) Focusing and testing fisher know-how to solve conservation problems: a common sense approach. In Haggan N, Brignall C, Wood L (eds) Putting Fishers’ Knowledge to Work: Conference Proceedings. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Fisheries Centre Research Report, Vol. 11, pp. 224-226.
• Melvin EF, Parrish JK (2001) Preface. In Melvin EF, Parrish JK (eds), Seabird Bycatch: Trends, Roadblocks and Solutions. University of Alaska Sea Grant, Fairbanks, AK, pp. v-vii.
• Melvin EF, Parrish JK, editors (2001) Seabird Bycatch: Trends, Roadblocks and Solutions. AK-SG-01-01. University of Alaska Sea Grant, Fairbanks, AK.
• Melvin EF, Parrish JK (2001) Symposium synthesis. In Melvin EF, Parrish JK (eds), Seabird Bycatch: Trends, Roadblocks and Solutions. University of Alaska Sea Grant, Fairbanks, AK, pp. 1-7.
• Melvin EF, Robertson G (2000) Appendix 3: Seabird mitigation research in longline fisheries: status and priorities for future research and actions. In Cooper J (ed), Albatross and petrel mortality from longline fishing, International Workshop, Honolulu, HI, 11-12 May 2000. Marine Ornithology 28:178-181.
• Norris S, Hall M, Melvin E, Parrish J (2002) Thinking like an ocean: ecological lessons from marine bycatch. Conservation in Practice 3:4-12.

General longline fishery publications

WSG publications

• Lessons from Seabird Conservation in Alaskan Longline Fisheries
• Trends in Seabird Bycatch in Alaska Longline Fisheries 1993 – 2015
• Preventing Seabird Bycatch in North Pacific Groundfish Longline Fisheries
• Albatross Protection and West Coast Groundfish Fisheries: What Fishermen Should Know
• Seabird Avoidance Measures for Small Alaskan Longline Vessels
• The Distribution of Seabirds on the Alaskan Longline Fishing Grounds: Implications for Seabird Avoidance Regulations
• The Distribution of Seabirds on Alaskan Longline Fishing Grounds: 2002 Data Report
• Streamer Lines to Reduce Seabird Bycatch in Longline Fisheries
• Off the Hook: An Informational Video for Alaska’s Longliners

Pelagic longline fishery publications

WSG publications

• Melvin EF, Walker N (2008) Optimizing tori line designs for pelagic tuna longline fisheries. Report of work under New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries Special Permit 355.
• Branchline Weighting on Two Japanese Joint Venture Vessels Participating in the 2009 South African Tuna Fishery: A Preliminary Report

Other publications

• Melvin EF, Guy TJ, Read LB (2014) Best practice seabird bycatch mitigation for pelagic longline fisheries. Fisheries Research149:5-18.
• Melvin EF, Guy TJ, Read LB (2013) Reducing seabird bycatch in the South African joint venture tuna fishery using bird-scaring lines, branch line weighting and nighttime setting of hooks. Fisheries Research147:72-82.
• Huang H-W, Yeh Y-M, Dietrich KS, Melvin EF (2012) Estimates of seabird incidental catch by pelagic longline fisheries in the South Atlantic Ocean. Animal Conservation16 (2):141-152.
• Melvin EF, Baker GB, editors (2006) Summary report: seabird bycatch mitigation in pelagic longline fisheries workshop. Museum of Natural History, Hobart, Tasmania, October 14, 2006.
• Melvin EF, Guy T (2011) A draft seabird bycatch conservation measure for tuna commissions. SBWG-4 Doc 56, Fourth Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 22–24 August 2011.
• Melvin E, Guy T, Sato N (2011) Preliminary report of 2010 weighted branchline trials in the tuna joint venture fishery in the South African EEZ. SBWG-4 Doc 07, Fourth Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 22–24 August 2011.
• Melvin EF, Guy TJ, Read LB (2010) Shrink and defend: a comparison of two streamer line designs in the 2009 South Africa tuna fishery. SBWG-3 Doc 13.rev1, Third Meeting of Seabird Bycatch Working Group Mar del Plata, Argentina, 08–09 April 2010.
• Melvin EF, Heinecken C, Guy TJ (2009) Optimizing tori line designs for pelagic tuna longline fisheries: South Africa. Report of work under special permit from the Republic of South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marine and Coastal Management, Pelagic and High Seas Fishery Management Division.

Demersal longline fishery publications

WSG publications

• Solutions to Seabird Bycatch in Alaska’s Demersal Longline Fisheries

Other publications

• Gladics A, Melvin EF, Suryan R, Good T, Jannot J, Guy T (2017) Fishery-specific solutions to seabird bycatch in the U.S. West Coast sablefish fishery. Fisheries Research196, pp. 35-95
• Dietrich KS, Melvin EF, Conquest L (2008) Integrated weight longlines with paired streamer lines — best practice to prevent seabird bycatch in demersal longline fisheries. Biological Conservation 141:1793-1805.
• Dietrich K, Melvin E, Conquest L (2006) Integrated weight longlines with paired streamer lines — best management practice for demersal longline fisheries: preliminary results. WG-FSA-06/52, CCAMLR, Hobart.
• Dietrich KS, Parrish JK, Melvin EF (2009) Understanding and addressing seabird bycatch in Alaska demersal longline fisheries. Biological Conservation 142:2642-2656.
• Guy TJ, Jennings SL, Suryan RM, Melvin EF, Bellman MA, Anderson DJ, Ballance LT, Blackie BA, Croll DA, Deguchi T, Geernaert TO, Henry RW, Hester M, Hyrenbach KD, Jahncke J, Ozaki K, Roletto J, Sato F, Shaffer SA, Sydeman WJ, Zamon JE (2013) Overlap of North Pacific albatrosses with the U.S. west coast groundfish and shrimp fisheries. Fisheries Research147:222-234.
• Melvin EF (2003) CCAMLR streamer line requirements revisited. WG-FSA-03/22, CCAMLR, Hobart, Tasmania.
• Melvin EF, Sullivan B, Robertson G, Wienecke B (2004) A review of the effectiveness of streamer lines as a seabird bycatch mitigation technique in longline fisheries and CCAMLR streamer line requirements. CCAMLR Science11:189-201.
• Robertson G, Moreno CA, Gutierrez E, Candy SG, Melvin EF, Seco Pon, JP (2008) Line weights of constant mass (and sink rates) for Spanish-system Patagonian toothfish longline vessels. CCAMLR Science15:93-106.
• Suryan RM, Dietrich KS, Melvin EF, Balogh GR, Sato F, Ozaki K (2007) Migratory routes of short-tailed albatrosses: Time spent among exclusive economic zones of North Pacific Rim countries and spatial overlap with commercial fisheries in Alaska. Biological Conservation 137:450-460.

Gillnet fishery publications

WSG publications

• Reduction of Seabird Entanglements in Salmon Drift Gillnets Through Gear Modification
• Reduction of Seabird Bycatch in Salmon Drift Gillnet Fisheries: 1995 Sockeye/Pink Salmon Fishery Final Report
• Seabird Bycatch Reduction: New Tools for Puget Sound Drift Gillnet Salmon Fisheries

Other publications

• Melvin EF, Parrish JK, Conquest LL (1999) Novel tools to reduce seabird bycatch in coastal gillnet fisheries. Conservation Biology13:1386-1397.
• Thompson CW, Wilson ML, Melvin E, Pierce JD (1998) An unusual sequence of flight-feather molt in common murres and its evolutionary consequences. The Auk115:653-669.

Trawl fishery publications

WSG publications

• Alaska Trawl Fisheries: Potential Interactions with North Pacific Albatrosses
• Annotated Bibliography: Seabird Interactions with Trawl Fishing Operations and Cooperative Research
• Pilot Tests of Techniques to Mitigate Seabird Interactions with Catcher Processor Vessels in the Bering Sea Pollock Trawl Fishery: Final Report

Other publications

• Melvin EF, Asher WE, Fernandez-Juricic E, Lim A (2016) Results of initial trials to determine if laser light can prevent seabird bycatch in North Pacific fisheries. Seventh Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels La Serena, Chile, 02-04 May 2016.
• Melvin EF, Dietrich KS, Fitzgerald S, Cardoso T (2011) Reducing seabird strikes with trawl cables in the pollock catcher-processor fleet in the eastern Bering Sea. Polar Biology34:215–226.
• Melvin EF, Dietrich KS, Fitzgerald S, Cordoza T (2010) Reducing seabird strikes with trawl cables in the pollock catcher–processor fleet in the eastern Bering Sea, Third Meeting of Seabird Bycatch Working Group, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels Mar del Plata, Argentina, 08–09 April 2010.