Subject: RE(2): Gillnetting and birds
Date: Sep 27 10:50:19 1995
From: WADE at racesmtp.afsc.noaa.gov - WADE at racesmtp.afsc.noaa.gov


If I had looked first, I could have answered my own question. Pacific Seabirds, Vol 22, No
1, 1995 (received in May), reports on seabird take in WA gillnet fisheries in 1994, looking
at August sockeye salmon fishery in north Puget Sound and fall chum salmon fisheries in
Hood Canal and central Puget Sound. Estimated take of marbled murrelets was low that
year (15 estimated entangled based on 1 observation) but it reads as if higher takes have
been observed in past years. I am not sure if all fisheries have been observed, either.
Estimated takes of some other species were rhinocerous auklets (789), and common murres
(2,532). The take of murres may be of serious concern because the breeding pop is
estimated at 3000-7000 in WA. Seabird take issues are handled by the WA Dep of Fish
and Wild and the U.S. Fish and Wild Serv.

The same issue of Pacific Seabirds also reports that a new versioin of M.M. recovery plan
will be out in the near future (that was in the spring), and also gives info on a couple of
publications recently available on m.m.