1. Hook, Line, and Sinker: The Impact of Alternate Fishing Methods on Waved Albatross
(Phoebastria irrorata) Conservation
Angelica Morales
Project Summary
Industrial fishing practices have had a variety of detrimental effects on a wide array of marine
species. One such species, the waved albatross of the Galapagos Islands, went from being classified
as “near threatened” to “critically endangered” by the IUCN within a decade. Research has shown
the biggest impact on their declining population has come from longline fishing. This practice causes
disproportionate deaths of male waved albatrosses, which makes it difficult for their population to
recover because females are left without mates to reproduce and this species has obligate bi-parental
care.
Ideally, the best method to protect the waved albatross population will be to ban longline fishing in
the waters off of Ecuador. This, however, will be very difficult to enforce as the fishing industry is an
important part of Ecuador’s culture and economy. These fishermen have invested money on their
ships, as well as time lobbying against government regulations. An alternative option will be to
modify their equipment to minimize bycatch. This method was successfully utilized in nearby Chile.
The redesigned longline netting was created to prevent the catch from being stolen by sperm whales,
which had been concerning the fishermen, and had the added benefit of eliminating avian bycatch as
well.
This study aims to examine the effect of modified netting on the rate of waved albatross bycatch of
Ecuadorian fishermen. The experiment will take place between June to December when albatrosses
are most likely to be foraging near the Galapagos Islands to feed their chicks. Modified equipment
will be provided for five boats who regularly fish in the area, and two researchers on each boat will
record the interactions of waved albatross and the fishing nets during this time. The interactions will
be categorized and be analyzed using Chi-square Contingency Tests to compare the observed
interactions to the estimates. This data will be further compared to the interactions produced by
fishermen utilizing standard equipment on an additional five fishing boats in the area. The amount of
fish caught on all ten boats will also be compared to determine if the modified netting has any impact
on the amount of fish caught.
Intellectual Merit:
This study will provide researchers the opportunity to study how the modified netting will impact
Waved Albatross foraging behavior. Additional study will determine how the mechanics of fishing
equipment can be better improved to minimize bycatch rates. This study could help determine
conservation methods for other species of interest who are affected by industrial fishing methods.
Broader Impacts
Fishermen in Ecuador have been opposed to regulations imposed upon their work, and are mistrustful
of scientists, who they believe work with the government, as a result. This experiment seeks to
involve the fishermen in the process of conserving an endangered species, and could help restore the
relationships between the locals and the scientists. The fishermen could provide a unique insight into
the ethology of the waved albatrosses. This study will also provide the fishermen with an opportunity
to learn about scientific practices. The Waved Albatross is a long-lived and charismatic species, and
conserving it could result in increased tourism for the community.

2. Specific Aims
This study aims to compare the mortality rate and foraging behavior of waved albatrosses
interacting with longline fishing boats with standard and modified equipment. The results of this
study could determine if the modified netting is an effective method of reducing albatross
bycatch, which is the most important factor known to lead to albatross decline.
Rationale and Significance
Relevant Biology
The waved albatross is a critically endangered seabird endemic to the Galapagos region
of Ecuador. It is a sexually dimorphic and medium-sized bird that measures nearly three feet in
length and has a wingspan that can reach eight feet. Studies have shown that its morphology,
specifically its large wingspan, limits its distribution to windy oceans (Suryan et al. 2008). The
species lives for 40 to 45 years and begins breeding between four and six years of age. This
monogamous species displays obligate bi-parental care, and mated pairs usually return to the
same nesting site annually. It has specific nesting requirements, preferring areas that have little
vegetation, typically surrounded by lava and boulders (BirdLife International, 2015). It subsists
on a diet of mainly squid, fish, and crustaceans. During the breeding season, it spends the
majority of its time foraging in an area known as the Peruvian Upwelling, and during the non-
breeding period, it prefers to forage within the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Unlike some
species of albatrosses, the waved albatross is not known to follow fishing boats to scavenge bait,
however it is still vulnerable to becoming bycatch because it scavenges dead fish from the ocean
surface (Anderson et al. 2003).
The last global population estimate in
2001 showed 34,694 adults, and smaller
surveys conducted in 2007 demonstrated that
the population has declined since then. This
sharp decline in population caused the
species to go from being classified as “near
threatened” to “critically endangered” within
a decade. Due to their central location on the
Island of Española, the waved albatross
breeding colonies are treated as one
population. Population estimates are
calculated on a yearly basis by counting the
number of banded and unmarked adults and
fledglings at the Punta Suárez and Punta Cevallo colonies. The albatrosses have established a
smaller breeding colony of 10-20 pairs on Isla la Plata off of the coast of Ecuador (Agreement on
the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 2007). Of their current 1,100,000 square km
distribution range, a total of 5.6 square km is used for breeding (BirdLife International, 2015).
Conservation Efforts
Several factors are affecting the decline of the waved albatross population. It has limited
breeding space, nesting sites which are frequently disturbed, and a vulnerability to El Niño
Figure 1: Map of Breeding Colonies on Española. The gray is
historic colonies, and X's mark known extirpated colonies.
(from Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and
Petrels, 2007)

3. events. However, the biggest impact on the population decline has come from longline fishing.
In this practice several smaller hooks are baited and attached to one main line which is cast from
the boat. The live or frozen bait often floats near the top of the water as the main line is cast,
attracting seabirds like the waved albatross. Estimates show that longline fishing boats near the
Galapagos catch up to five waved albatrosses per boat per day (Alava and Haase, 2011). Male
albatrosses, which are larger, have been shown to require a diet with a higher trophic level than
females. This makes males more likely than females to attempt to steal bait from fishing ships to
support their higher energy costs. Increased interactions with fishing boats has led to a
disproportionate rate of male waved albatrosses being caught by longline nets. (Awkerman et al.,
Feb. 2007) Additional studies have confirmed that the breeding population is female-biased, and
that this bias only arises after fledging. The disproportionate death of breeding-aged male waved
albatrosses due to longline fishing has directly impacted the population due to a lack of available
mates for breeding females and starvation of chicks that require care from both parents. The
gender imbalance in the breeding population leaves the species unable to recuperate from its
population decline (Awkerman et al., 2006, Awkeman et. al Oct. 2007).
Current conservation efforts for the waved albatross focus mainly on protecting the
natural breeding grounds. Española is part of the Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve,
where fishing is highly regulated. The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and
Petrels, an international group that seeks to “conserve albatrosses and petrels by coordinating
international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations,” has realized the impact
longline fishing has had on the waved albatross population. In response, they have proposed
modifying existing marine zoning areas to better protect albatross foraging grounds and
experimenting with fishing techniques that minimize bycatch (Agreement on the Conservation of
Albatrosses and Petrels, 2007).
Longline Fishing in Ecuador
The most effective method to protect the waved albatross population would be to ban
longline fishing in the waters off of Ecuador and Peru. This, however, would be very difficult to
enforce because the fishing industry is an integral part of Ecuador’s culture and economy.
Fishermen in Ecuador earn as much as $875 million from shrimp farming alone, and the industry
provides jobs for thousands in local communities. Since 1998, the industry has suffered due to
disease and diminishing returns, and many jobs have been lost (Schwarz, 2005). This decline has
increased tensions between the fishermen, who have invested money on their ships, and the
government which has set strict regulations regarding fishing near the Galapagos. In March
2004, a group of angry fishermen seeking to use semi-industrial fishing methods near the
Galapagos Islands took a group of 30 scientists hostage; the Ecuadorian government was forced
to relent (The Economist, 2004). This tension has also impacted scientific studies seeking to
determine the impact of bycatch from these boats. Many studies focus on using the number of
albatrosses reported by fishermen after they hauled in their nets to determine bycatch rates.
However, one study found that these reports only accounted for 48% of the actual bycatch. In
addition to more complex situations such as scavenging predators and birds escaping the hooks,
it was found that some fishermen purposefully misreported the number of waved albatrosses
killed by the netting. (Brothers et al., 2010)

4. Rather than banning longline fishing altogether, an alternative option would be to modify
fishing equipment to minimize bycatch. This method was successfully utilized by a partnership
between nearby Chilean fishermen and scientists from the University of Chile. The redesigned
longline netting was created to prevent the catch from being stolen by sperm whales (which
concerned the fishermen) and had the added benefit of eliminating avian bycatch as well. The
new lines prevent the albatrosses and whales from reaching the catch by surrounding the
individual hooks with smaller nets and using sinkers to make sure they spend less time floating
where they can easily be reached. (Moreno et al. 2008, Southern Seabird Solutions Trust, 2013)
Research Questions
The proposed research aims to determine if modified fishing equipment and waved albatross
decreases of, and beneficially impacts foraging by, the waved albatross. The goals of this
research are to:
A. Examine the amount of albatross bycatch associated with modified and standard longline
netting.
Figure 3: Longline netting redesigned to reduce seabird bycatch compared to standard longline netting floating at the top of the ocean
(Inset) (from Southern Seabird Solutions Trust, 2013)
Figure 2: Sea Bird interactions with longline netting involves more than getting caught. This chart shows the number of seabird
interactions with baited hooks by interaction category and region. (from Brothers et al., 2010) The team observed 32.89%
interactions in category (i), 57.11% interactions in category (ii), 2.95% interactions in category (iii), 1.32% interactions in
category (iv), and 5.73% interactions in category (v).
(i) (ii) (iv)(iii) (v)

5. B. Examine changes to albatross foraging behavior caused by the modified and standard
longline netting.
C. Determine if the modified netting reduces the amount of fish caught by the longline
boats.
I hypothesize that the modified netting will significantly reduce the amount of waved
albatross bycatch without reducing the amount of fish caught by fishermen. I also hypothesize
that the modified netting will change the foraging behavior of waved albatrosses by reducing the
number of attempts made to steal bait from longline nets.
Experimental Plan
Materials and Methods
This study aims to examine the effect of modified netting on the rate of waved albatross
bycatch of Ecuadorian fishermen. The experiment will take place between June to December
when albatrosses are most likely to be foraging near the Galapagos Islands to feed their chicks.
The modified longline equipment described by Moreno et al. will be provided for five boats who
regularly fish in the area, with the smaller singular nets painted red so they are easily identified.
Using a modified version of the methods described in Brothers et al., 2010, two researchers
aboard each boat will record seabird-netting interactions into one of the following categories: (i)
successful, where it takes the bait and does not get caught; (ii) unsuccessful, where it fails to take
the bait and does not get caught; (iii) caught, when the seabird gets caught or hooked and is
killed; (iv) possibly caught, when it appears to get caught but this is not entirely clear, or the bird
gets caught and escapes; and (v) unsure, when the outcome is uncertain. This data will be
compared to the behavior of albatrosses interacting with boats utilizing standard longline
equipment on an additional five fishing boats in the area. The amount of fish caught on all ten
boats will also be compared, to determine if the modified netting has an impact on livelihoods.
Data Analysis
By using the estimate that five albatrosses were reported caught per day (Alava and
Haase, 2011), and the total proportion of birds of the different categories provided by Brothers et
al. 2010, we estimate that waved albatrosses interact with fishing boats approximately 353 times
per day ((5 albatrosses per day/.48 reported catch)/ .0295 Category iii interaction = 353 total
interactions per day). Further analysis yields estimates for each of the five categories previously
described. (Fig. 4) Chi-square Contingency Tests to determine whether the number of albatrosses
in each bait-attempt category varied significantly between the observed and estimated number on
a month-by-month basis. Statistical tests will be done using Number Crunching Statistical
Analysis through NCSS Statistical and Power Analysis software.

6. Broader Impacts
The tensions between fishermen and the government of Ecuador have made it difficult to
study in that region. This experiment seeks to involve the fishermen in the process of conserving
an endangered species, and could help restore the relationships between the locals and the
scientists. Results that show that the modified netting reduces the number of albatrosses caught
without reducing the number of fish caught would support the modifications as a sustainable
method to protect the species without decreasing the amount of money the fishermen are able to
earn. Because the fishermen spend more time at sea in the foraging area of the waved albatross,
they could provide a unique insight into the ethology of this species. This study could provide
the fishermen with an opportunity to improve their education in biology and mathematics. The
results of this study could be used to implement a more efficient conservation effort for the
waved albatross, and potentially establish conservation plans for other species in decline due to
longline fishing. Ecuador is well known for ecotourism due to the variety of species found on
the Galapagos Islands. The waved albatross is a long-lived and charismatic species due to their
mating displays, and increasing its population size could result in increased tourism for the
community, and thus aid their economy. This makes them a great candidate for sponsorship, as a
person could come and watch the displays (or videos of the displays), and see the offspring of a
single albatross for many years. As with other charismatic species such as pandas and tigers,
sponsoring albatrosses would both increase awareness of the harmful effects of human
interference while simultaneous raising funds that could be used to implement other conservation
efforts.
58
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i ii iii iv v
NumberofAlbatrossInteractionsPerDay
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Albatross Interactions with Fishing Boats - Dec
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Standard Longline Netting Modified Longline Netting
Figure 4: Comparison of estimated albatross interactions in each category in June and December. (Assumes a 50% decrease in total interactions
in December.)

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