Abstract Fisheries bycatch is one of the biggest threats to seabird populations. Managers need to identify where and when bycatch occurs and ensure effective action. In 1999, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released the International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-s) encouraging states to voluntarily assess potential seabird bycatch problems and implement a National Plan of Action (NPOA) if needed. However, the IPOA-s is ambiguous about the steps and objectives, diminishing its value as a conservation tool. We reviewed NPOAs to identify approaches taken to determine whether seabird bycatch is problematic, how bycatch minimisation and population objectives are set, and if thresholds are specified for managing impacts. Our aim was to recommend measures for improving consistency and effectiveness in future NPOAs and other management frameworks for seabirds, with relevance for other threatened marine vertebrates including sharks, turtles, pinnipeds and cetaceans. Globally, 16 NPOAs have been published, but few effectively linked seabird bycatch risk, objectives and management. However, we identified the following best-practice elements that could improve NPOA design: (1) defining explicit risk criteria and methods to assess bycatch problems; (2) setting specific and measurable objectives for minimising bycatch and achieving desired population status; and (3) defining fishery-specific thresholds to trigger management action linked to the population objective. Consistent adoption of NPOA best practice, particularly in states that have not already developed an NPOA, would help to mitigate bycatch threats and ensure fisheries do not reduce the viability of seabird populations.

中文翻译：

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减少海鸟兼捕的国家行动计划 (NPOA)：制定评估和管理渔业影响的最佳实践

摘要 渔业兼捕是海鸟种群面临的最大威胁之一。管理人员需要确定兼捕发生的地点和时间，并确保采取有效行动。1999 年，联合国粮食及农业组织发布了减少延绳钓渔业意外捕获海鸟的国际行动计划 (IPOA-s)，鼓励各国自愿评估潜在的海鸟兼捕问题并实施国家行动计划 (NPOA) ） 如果需要的话。然而，IPOA-s 的步骤和目标含糊不清，削弱了其作为保护工具的价值。我们审查了 NPOA，以确定确定海鸟兼捕是否有问题、如何设定兼捕最小化和种群目标以及是否为管理影响指定阈值所采取的方法。我们的目标是推荐措施，以提高未来 NPOA 和其他海鸟管理框架的一致性和有效性，与其他受威胁的海洋脊椎动物（包括鲨鱼、海龟、鳍足类动物和鲸类动物）相关。在全球范围内，已经发布了 16 个 NPOA，但很少将海鸟兼捕风险、目标和管理有效联系起来。但是，我们确定了以下可以改进 NPOA 设计的最佳实践要素：(1) 定义明确的风险标准和方法来评估兼捕问题；(2) 设定具体和可衡量的目标，以尽量减少兼捕和达到预期的种群状况；(3) 定义渔业特定阈值以触发与种群目标相关的管理行动。一致采用 NPOA 最佳实践，特别是在尚未制定 NPOA 的州，