These species have all been recorded as caught in handlines and harpoons (International Standard Classification of Fishing Gears codes 09.1, 09.2, 09.9, and 10.1). These include pole and line gear, and may include pole and line used by recreational and sport fishers. All records of seabird bycatch are on hooks; none on harpoons.
There are 58 species of seabirds recorded as having been caught on handlines. Of these, the largest group is the gulls and terns, with 22 species, more than one-third of the total. The cormorants, shags, and boobies are represented by 13 more species. Fourteen species are either not diving species or surface divers, that is, species that do not dive beyond about 1 m depth. These include several albatrosses and most of the gulls and terns. In general, the species recorded as being caught on handlines are not the more adept, deep-diving species. This suggests that most of the birds being caught on handlines are being caught when the hook is fairly near the surface. Exceptions to this general rule may be the two alcids (Common Murre and Marbled Murrelet) and the more deep-diving shearwater species.
If you are interested in more details about bycatch in any of these species, go to the map tool, choose “Explore by Species,” select the species (probably easiest in the “Common name” drop-down box), submit the query, and get a comprehensive report for your species of interest. The report will list all of the references regarding bycatch in the “Gear Interaction References” section.
Ducks (Anseriformes)
Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
Loons or Divers (Gaviiformes)
Black-throated Loon Gavia arctica
Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica
Common Loon Gavia immer
Albatrosses (Procellariiformes)
Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata
Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans
Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos
Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri
Fulmars and Petrels (Procellariiformes)
Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata
Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni
Shearwaters (Procellariiformes)
Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea
Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris
Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes
Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis
Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia
Pelicans (Pelecaniformes)
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus
Frigatebirds, Boobies, and Shags (Suliformes)
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
Cape Gannet Morus capensis
Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
Peruvian Booby Sula variegata
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
Spotted Shag Phalacrocorax punctatus
Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
Australian Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
Gulls, Terns, and Skuas (Charadriiformes)
Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Black-billed Gull Chroicocephalus bulleri
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Lava Gull Leucophaeus fuliginosus
Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla
Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan
Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus
Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
Peruvian Tern Sternula lorata
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki
Alcids (Charadriiformes)
Common Murre Uria aalge
Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus