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Preparatory work to assist in the delivery of a pilot OSPAR indicator B5 Marine Bird Bycatch 2026

Abstract

To assess the impact of plausible bycatch scenarios on marine bird populations we ran a pilot Population Viability Analyses (PVA). We constructed pilot PVAs for Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis and common guillemot Uria aalge breeding in OSPAR Regions IV (Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast) and III (Celtic Seas), respectively.

Due to the lack of comprehensive bycatch data for fisheries operating in any OSPAR region and taking into consideration the timeline of the present study, we defined seabird bycatch based on plausible hypothetical scenarios. We then used the ratio of the impacted to unimpacted final population size after three generations to compare changes in population growth. We propose that this ratio could inform the Candidate Indicator on Marine Bird Bycatch.

Note that Appendix 3 (Bycatch Survey Inventory (2020 update)), Appendix 6 (Matrix of Quality Criteria Bycatch Assessment) and Appendix 7 (Overview of data availability for a Pilot assessment marine bird bycatch indicator) are provided as accompanying resources, in spreadsheet format.

These resources may not be fully accessible for all users. If you need copies in a different format, please contact Communications@jncc.gov.uk.

Resource type Publication

Topic category Environment

Reference date 2026·06·01

Citation
Oliveira, N., Parsons, M. & Horswill, C. 2026. Preparatory work to assist in the delivery of a pilot OSPAR indicator B5 Marine Bird Bycatch. JNCC Report 766, JNCC, Peterborough, ISSN 0963-8091.

Lineage
This report was produced for JNCC under an external contract

Responsible organisation
Communications, JNCC publisher

Limitations on public access No limitations

Use constraints Available under the Open Government Licence 3.0

Metadata date 2026·06·04

Metadata point of contact
Communications, JNCC

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