NOAA Fisheries Wins Presidential Award for Their Longline Fisheries Work

Each year since the inception of the Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds, nominations are submitted for federal projects done in partnership to benefit migratory birds. A Presidential Migratory Bird Stewardship Award winner is chosen at the Annual Council meeting in the Spring. Congratulations this year go to the National Marine Fisheries-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NMFS-NOAA) and their many partners (California Sea Grant Extension; David and Lucille Packard Foundation; Englund Marine and Industrial Supply, Oregon, Washington, California; Fishing Vessels Owner’s Association, Seattle, WA; International Pacific Halibut Commission; LFS Marine and Outdoor, Seattle, WA; Makah Tribe, Washington; Marine Service and Supply Inc.; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Oregon State University; Pacific Fishery Management Council; Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Oregon Sea Grant; Quileute Tribe, Washington; Quinault Tribe, Washington; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Tommy’s Marine Supply, Fort Bragg, California; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Washington Sea Grant) for their outstanding contributions to bird conservation through their project Preventing Migratory Seabird Mortality in U.S. West Coast Groundfish Longline Fisheries.

NOAA Fisheries, in collaboration with their partners, is succeeding in keeping seabirds off the hooks of vessels using bottom longline gear in fisheries off of the U.S. West Coast (i.e. Washington, Oregon, California). Nearly 300 vessels operate within this fishery, targeting species such as sablefish and halibut. The stage for the action was set by the successful seabird conservation efforts in the Alaska fisheries that began in the 1990s and effectively used streamer lines during gear setting to deter seabirds from accessing baited hooks.