National Plan of Action - Seabirds 2013
The National Plan of Action (NPOA) - Seabirds 2013 recognises New Zealand’s unique place in the world for seabirds and our desire to be at the leading edge of international seabird conservation.
More seabirds breed in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world. New Zealand seabirds should be able to thrive in New Zealand waters and around the world without pressure from fishing-related mortality.
The long term objective of the NPOA-Seabirds 2013 is:
New Zealand seabirds thrive without pressure from fishing related mortalities, New Zealand fishers avoid or mitigate against seabird captures and New Zealand fisheries are globally recognised as seabird friendly.
The NPOA-Seabirds 2013 is the result of the combined efforts of government, tangata whenua, environmental Non-Government Organisations and the commercial fishing sector and exemplifies the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) approach to working in partnership with stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
The NPOA-Seabirds 2013 sets out objectives for five years to guide management of incidental seabird catch in New Zealand fisheries. The current management approach will see the objectives achieved through integration into MPI's annual and five year plans for fisheries.
Research and information underpin management of seabird interactions with fisheries. A risk assessment approach is used to determine management priorities. Summaries of what we currently know about seabird interactions with fisheries are updated annually. Seabird captures are quantified in an online database.
Seabird Advisory Group
To support implementation an advisory group is being established. The Seabird Advisory Group (SAG), made up of representatives from interested sectors, will monitor and assist with implementation of the NPOA-Seabirds 2013. The National Plan of Action sets out the Terms of Reference for the SAG.
