Cat Predation
Cats and Birds: A Deadly Combination
In Wisconsin alone, rural cats are estimated to kill between 8 million and 219 million birds annually (Coleman and Temple 1996).
If you are a cat owner or a bird lover (or both), this may be a subject about which you would like to be better informed. The following Internet sites are good direct or indirect sources of information about the impacts of feral cats on wild bird populations, and what responsible cat owners can do to help reduce this source of mortality.
Cats and Wildlife Issues - Bibliography and extensive list of on-line sources from the California Department of Fish and Game
Cats Indoors! - An initiative of the American Bird Conservancy
FAO Consultation Reduction of Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries
Since the 1990s, scientists have been concerned about the impact to seabirds of longline fisheries around the world. Seabird bycatch in fisheries also has an adverse impact on productivity and profitability. Governments, nongovernmental organizations, and commercial fishery associations are working together to develop measures to reduce seabird mortality in longline fisheries.
Seabirds most frequently affected by longline fisheries are albatrosses and petrels in the South Pacific and South Atlantic fisheries, Northern fulmar in the North Atlantic and albatrosses, gulls and fulmars in the North Pacific fisheries.
Responding to the need to reduce commercial fishing related seabird mortality in the Southern Oceans, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources adopted mitigation measures in 1992 to reduce seabird bycatch by its 23 member countries. Under the auspices of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), Australia, Japan and New Zealand have taken seabird mitigation measures in their southern bluefin tuna longline fishery.
In 1995 CCSBT adopted the recommendation that stipulates the policy on data and information collection, mitigation measures and education, and information dissemination regarding seabird bycatch in longline fisheries. The U.S. also adopted, seabird bycatch reduction measures for its ground fish longline fisheries in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska in 1997, and is considering adopting regulations for its halibut fishery. Contacts
Japan
Kiyoshi Katsuyama
Deputy Director
International Affair Division
Fisheries Agency, Govt. of Japan
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo, Japan 100
Tel. +81-3-3591-1086; fax +81-3-3504-2649
email: katumasa_miyauchi@nm.maff.go.jp
Yuji Uozumi
Fishery Biologist
Tuna Ecology Section
Nat. Res. Inst. of Far Seas Fisheries
5-7-1, Orido, Shimizu 424, Japan
Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo, Japan 100
Tel. 543-36-6046; fax 543-35-9642
email: uozumi@enyo.affrc.go.jp
United States
Annette Henry
NOAA Fisheries’ National Seabird Program Coordinator
National Marine Fisheries Service
8901 La Jolla Shores Drive
La Jolla, California 92037
Tel. (858) 546-5672; fax (858) 546-7003
FAO
John Willy Valdemarsen
Chief, Fishing Technology Service
Fishery Industries Division
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 Rome
Tel. (39-6) 57056449; fax (39-6) 57055188
email: John.Valdemarsen@fao.org
Joel Prado
Fishery Industry Officer, FIIT
Fishery Industries Division
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 Rome
Tel. (39-6) 57054931; fax (39-6) 57055188
email Joel.Prado@fao.org
