The presence of "free" food in the form of offal and bait attracts many birds to fishing operations. In past years, more than 20,000 seabirds were hooked annually in groundfish fisheries off Alaska.
Learn more about EcoCast—a dynamic ocean management tool that aims to minimize fisheries bycatch and maximize fisheries target catch in near real time.
Seabirds are a vital part of marine ecosystems and valuable indicators of ecosystem health. Most of the 312 species of seabirds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and some are endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.