Report of a workshop jointly organised by FAO and Birdlife International. NPOA-Seabirds = National plan of action for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries

Of the workshop -- Background of the workshop -- Report of the workshop -- Conclusions and recommendations of the workshop -- Contributed papers. Developing policies for the management of fishery genetic resources / D.M. Bartley and A. Toledo -- Status and trends in genetic resources of capture fisheries / W.S. Grant -- Issues, status and trends in deep-sea fishery genetic resources / P.J. Smith -- Genetic resources for aquaculture : status and trends / R.S.V. Pullin -- Fish genomics and analytical genetic technologies, with examples of their potential applications in management of fish genetic resources / Z. Liu.

Breeding on remote ocean islands and spending much of its life foraging for food across vast stretches of seemingly empty seas, the albatross remains a legend for most people. And yet, humans are threatening the albatross family to such an extent that it is currently the most threatened bird group in the world. In this extensively researched, highly readable book, Robin W. Doughty and Virginia Carmichael tell the story of a potentially catastrophic extinction that has been interrupted by an unlikely alliance of governments, conservation groups, and fishermen. Doughty and Carmichael authoritatively establish that the albatross's fate is linked to the fate of two of the highest-value table fish, Bluefin Tuna and Patagonian Toothfish, which are threatened by unregulated commercial harvesting. The authors tell us that commercial fishing techniques are annually killing tens of thousands of albatrosses. And the authors explain how the breeding biology of albatrosses makes them unable to replenish their numbers at the rate they are being depleted. Doughty and Carmichael set the albatross's fate in the larger context of threats facing the ocean commons, ranging from industrial overfishing to our habit of dumping chemicals, solid waste, and plastic trash into the open seas. They also highlight the efforts of dedicated individuals, environmental groups, fishery management bodies, and governments who are working for seabird and fish conservation and demonstrate that these efforts can lead to sustainable solutions for the iconic seabirds and the entire ocean ecosystem.

This report covers historical aspects of the regional development of orange roughy fisheries, biology, stock assessment, ecosystem interactions, and key management issues. In light of debate regarding the sustainability of orange roughy fisheries, as well as fisheries for other long-lived deepwater species, this review describes how, by making the right choices and employing the best science available, there are now some demonstrably sustainable orange roughy fisheries. However, there remain considerable challenges. These include improving understanding of deepwater benthic communities in general, their genetics and population distributions, their dispersal, and their ability to recover from fishery-related and other impacts. With regard to the direct management of the fisheries, the report emphasizes important opportunities and needs to improve ageing and acoustic biomass estimation, and to better understand the genetics and population structure of the stocks of orange roughy that are fished and managed.