Tuesday, 11 May 2021, 2:08 pm
Seabirds with a larger wingspan and bills or
which have larger eyes and nostrils are more likely to end
up as bycatch from the fishing industry, a new study has
found.
New Zealand is one of the world’s
most important regions for seabirds with a quarter of
seabird species found here. Auckland alone is home to 27
species, making it one of the most important seabird
breeding regions in the world.
But seabirds are one of
the most at-risk groups of animals. Their greatest threat is
as fisheries bycatch. Each year thousands are caught in
fishing gear in New Zealand waters and recent research