A review of the use of seabirds as indicators in fisheries and ecosystem management

Abstract

This paper reviews the use of seabirds in fisheries management around the world, and provides a comprehensive overview of the many factors that should be considered in order to identify the most appropriate species and parameters. There are a growing number of examples where seabird monitoring programs are providing valuable information on the health of particular fish stocks, the health of the ecosystem, and on the effects of climatic change. Despite this, their suitability and usefulness as ecological performance indicators is still being developed in many marine systems. This is due largely to the many challenges involved in identifying the direct links between changes in prey composition and availability and measurable components of seabird ecology. A species ability to respond and cope with changing environmental conditions differs due to the combined influence of their time/energy budget, dietary preferences, and specific life-history traits. These factors should be considered in order to identify the most suitable species to monitor, given their level of sensitivity or resilience to a given level of change. The most useful ranges of adult, chick, breeding or population parameters are outlined, and examples are provided of their application to fisheries management as environmental, ecological and fisheries-based indicators. The value of seabird data in investigating the mechanisms underlying the population dynamics of prey species is also discussed, and areas of future research suggested. By integrating information on this topic this review will assist future studies in identifying the most appropriate species and suite of parameters that are most appropriate to monitor, in order to detect potential environmental and fisheries related impacts. This review also outlines many of the uncertainties that must be considered before they are applied as ecological performance indicators and management tools. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.