Draft Seabird Policy - June 2011

The Ministry of Fisheries and Department of Conservation sought comment on a draft Seabird Policy. The draft Seabird Policy aims to reduce the fishing-related mortality of seabirds. It puts in place a risk based approach to managing fishing interactions with seabirds, targeting those species most at risk.

The policy will be integrated into Fisheries Plans, the Ministry’s principal tool for achieving fisheries outcomes. The draft Seabird Policy will be implemented over the next year.

Consultation on the draft Seabird Policy closed in June 2011.

• Ministry’s Fisheries Plans and Annual Operating Plans
• Department’s Marine Conservation Services (primarily research and observer services) and management tools such as Population Management Plans
• Other stakeholder’s actions such as Southern Seabird Solution’s education programme. 
  
   Download Draft Seabird Policy (PDF 532KB)
  
   Download Appendix 1 to Draft Seabird Policy (PDF 286KB)

Draft Seabird Policy – Consultation on the draft Seabird Policy closed in June 2011. The document below summarises a range of comments received in 15 submissions from the fishing industry, environmental/conservation groups, scientists and individuals. Based on these submissions, the Ministry and the Department of Conservation are considering potential revisions to the draft policy, the Seabird Action Plan and associated documents. The Ministry and the Department of Conservation will begin to discuss revisions to these documents with stakeholders in August 2011.

 Download Summary of submissions (PDF 152KB)

The following background documents provide further context and detail about the draft Seabird Policy and the approach taken. Comment is not sought on these documents. 

• Questions and answers – this continuously-updated document contains a list of questions and answers that will help provide context and background for the draft Seabird Policy.
  
   Download Questions and answers (PDF 137KB)
  
  
• Seabird Action Plan – this document summarises the range of actions being taken to manage fishing interactions with seabirds. It brings together the management actions from across the three relevant Fisheries Plans, the Department of Conservation, as well as actions being taken by industry and non-government organisations. 
  
   Download Seabird Action Plan (PDF 566KB)
  
  
• Final 2011 Level 2 Seabird Risk Assessment Report (excluding appendices) – Please note, this version of the Level 2 Seabird Risk Assessment does not include appendices to allow for easy download. If you require a full version with appendices, please send an email to seabird.policy@fish.govt.nz and a hard copy or CD will be sent to you. The report describes the level 2 risk assessment process and results in detail. This risk assessment has been subject to extensive review by the Aquatic Environment Working Group and by a wide range of stakeholders at the ‘Seabird Summit’ of 10 November 2010.
  
   Download 2011 Seabird Risk Assessment (PDF 2MB)
  
  
• Draft risk assessment results – this table lists all New Zealand seabird species assessed through both the level 2 risk assessments, and a previous level 1 risk assessment. A combined relative risk score covering findings from both assessments has been developed and, broken down by fishery. The results from the risk assessment form the empirical basis for the draft Seabird Policy. 
  
   Download Draft risk assessment results (Xlsx 181KB)
  
  
• A self assessment of New Zealand’s activities against the FAO best practice guidelines – an overview of the range of activities New Zealand is carrying out and how these activities align with the FAO’s ‘Best Practice Guidelines to Reduce Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Capture Fisheries'. 
  
   Download self assessment of New Zealand’s activities against the FAO best practice guidelines (PDF 133KB)
  
  
• Description of current mitigation measures – this document describes in more detail the range of mitigation measures in place to address fishing related mortality of seabirds. 
  
   Download Description of current mitigation measures (PDF 119KB) 
  
  
• Seabird Summit Notes - Notes from “Seabird Summit” meeting 10 November 2010: this document summarises a meeting facilitated by the Ministry of Fisheries to develop a common understanding of the information that is currently available on seabird biology, populations and bycatch. Policy and management issues were not discussed at this meeting. 
  
   Download Seabird Summit Notes (PDF 223KB)