Seabird‐vessel interactions in industrial fisheries of Northwest Africa: Implications for international bycatch management

作者：Leia Navarro‐Herrero, David March, Teresa Militão, Sarah Saldanha, Fernando Medrano, Diego Vicente‐Sastre, Jazel Ouled‐Cheikh, Raül Ramos, Diana M. Matos, Isabel Cristina Rodrigues, Vítor H. Paiva, José P. Granadeiro, Paulo Catry, Andreia Leal, Herculano Dinis, Jacob González‐Solís · 发表于：Journal of Applied Ecology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/1365-2664.70139 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Avian ecology and behavior、Marine animal studies overview、Marine and fisheries research

Abstract Fisheries have been recognised as a significant global threat to seabird populations through overfishing and bycatch. Yet, seabird–fishing interactions remain understudied in West African waters despite rich seabird biodiversity and intensive fishing activity occurring in the region. Using high‐resolution tracking data of seabirds and fishing and nonfishing vessels, we investigated the dynamics of interactions between nine seabird species and industrial fisheries in Northwest African waters. We also assessed the underlying factors (seabird breeding status; fishing vessel density, gear type, length and operational status; and environmental features) influencing seabird–fishing interactions. Furthermore, we pinpointed the relevant political stakeholders in such seabird–fishing interactions by identifying the type of fisheries, vessel nation flags and maritime zones involved. We found that, for each species, more than 70% of individuals encountered vessels within 30 km, with most of these encounters involving nonfishing vessels. However, Cape Verde shearwaters ( Calonectris edwardsii ), to a lesser extent, Cory's shearwaters ( Calonectris borealis ) and Audouin's gulls ( Ichthyaetus audouinii ) frequently approached fishing vessels within 1.5 km, exhibiting clear attending behaviour. Specifically, 66% of Cape Verde shearwaters, 27% of Cory's shearwaters and 50% of Audouin's gulls showed this close‐range association with fishing vessels. The probability of a seabird atte...