Defining high-risk areas in the argentinean continental shelf: at-sea distribution of black-browed albatrosses and overlapping with longline and trawl fleets

COPELLO, S.; SECO PON, J. P.; FAVERO, M.

Conferencia; V International Albatross and Petrel Conference; 2012

Fisheries are one of the most important threats affecting the survival of most albatrosses andpetrels species around the globe and mortality in fisheries has already been characterised inthe Argentinean commercial longline and trawl fisheries. The main objective of this project isto conduct an analysis of the interactions between Black-browed albatrosses with fisheriesoperating in Patagonian Shelf waters in order to develop a comprehensive model to defineareas of high risk, and spatio-temporally predict their interactions over the Patagonian Shelf.We deployed satellite transmitters on black-browed albatrosses during the non-breedingperiod. Birds were capture at-sea in winter 2011. The at-sea distribution of tracked birds wasoverlapped with data obtained through the Argentinean Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). Atotal of 2,965 fixes was obtained over four months during the non-breeding season. The birdswere distributed over the Patagonian Shelf reaching waters off Uruguay and southern Brazil,ranging from the 30° to 52°S and from high seas (48°E) to neritic waters. A kernel analysisshowed core distribution areas located at the mouth of Río de la Plata, El Rincón and shelfbreak near Malvinas Islands and Península Valdes. Albatross distribution showed a highspatio-temporal overlap with longliners as well as with trawlers. Besides the developmentand implementation of conservation measures for the use of mitigation in the fisheries understudy, a comprehensive modelling of distribution and overlap may help in designing thespatial use of the Patagonian shelf in order to minimise interactions between seabirds andfisheries.