Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

It included two goals that set the overall direction:
AEBAR 2012: Protected species: Seabirds
1. To ensure that the long-term viability of protected seabird species is not threatened by their
incidental catch in New Zealand fisheries waters or by New Zealand flagged vessels in high
seas fisheries; and
2. To further reduce incidental catch of protected seabird species as far as possible, taking into
account advances in technology, knowledge and financial implications.
Together the two goals established the NPOA as a long-term strategy. The second goal was designed
to build on the first goal by promoting and encouraging the reduction of incidental catch beyond the
level that is necessary to ensure long term viability. The goals recognised that, although seabird deaths
may be accidentally caused by fishing, most seabirds are absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act.
The second goal balances the need to continue reducing incidental catch against the factors that
influence how this can be achieved in practice (e.g., advances in technology and the costs of
mitigation). The scope of the NPOA included:
• all seabird species absolutely or partially protected under the Wildlife Act;
• commercial and non-commercial fisheries;
• all New Zealand fisheries waters; and
• high seas fisheries in which New Zealand flagged vessels participate, or where foreign
flagged vessels catch protected seabird species.
Specific objectives were established in the NPOA as follows:
1. Implement efficient and effective management measures to achieve the goals of the NPOA,
using best practice measures where possible;
2. Ensure that appropriate incentives and penalties are in place so that fishers comply with
management measures;
3. Establish mandatory bycatch limits for seabird species where they are assessed to be an
efficient and effective management measure and there is sufficient information to enable an
appropriate limit to be set;
4. Ensure that there is sufficient, reliable information available for the effective implementation
and monitoring of management measures;
5. Establish a transparent process for monitoring progress against management measures;
6. Ensure that management measures are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect new
information and developments, and to ensure the achievement of the goals of the NPOA;
7. Encourage and facilitate research into affected seabird species and their interactions with
fisheries;
8. Encourage and facilitate research into new and innovative ways to reduce incidental catch;
9. Provide mechanisms to enable all interested parties to be involved in the reduction of
incidental catch;
10. Promote education and awareness programmes to ensure that all fishers are aware of the need
to reduce incidental catch and the measures available to achieve a reduction.
The NPOA-seabirds sets out the mix of voluntary and mandatory measures that would be used to help
reduce incidental captures of seabirds, noted research into the extent of the problem and the
techniques for mitigating it, and outlined mechanisms to oversee, monitor and review the
effectiveness of these measures. It was not within the scope of the NPOA to address threats to
seabirds other than fishing. Such threats are identified in DOC’s Action Plan for Seabird Conservation
in New Zealand (Taylor 2000) and their management is undertaken by DOC.
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