Journal
MARINE BIOLOGY
Volume 161, Issue 1, Pages 119-129Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s00227-013-2320-7
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Funding
- National Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology (Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cientifica y Tecnologica) [PICT 2008-0590]
- National Research Council [PIP CONICET 00070]
- National University of Mar del Plata (Argentina)
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Black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) disperse over the Argentinean Continental Shelf and neighboring waters during their non-breeding season. It is one of the most frequent seabirds attending fishing vessels and also the most common Procellariform in the bycatch of longliners and trawlers in the area. Understanding the use of fishery discards by this species is an important issue when assessing the potential effect of strategic discard management in decreasing the abundance, interactions, and mitigating mortality. In the present study, we analyzed carbon and nitrogen stable isotope compositions in the blood of Black-browed albatrosses to assess the relative contribution of discards from different fisheries to the diet of this species in winter. Samples were obtained in winter 2011 from fishing vessels operating between 41-43A degrees S and 57-59A degrees W. No sex differences in delta C-13 and delta N-15 were observed. Results indicate that during their non-breeding season, isotopic signatures of Black-browed albatrosses are closer to discards and offal generated by fisheries and in particular by trawlers. The large fishing effort of trawl fisheries in Argentina highlights the urgency of an exhaustive analysis to find practical and effective ways to reduce the number of seabirds attending trawlers.
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