By REBECCA WALSH
More than 300 protected seabirds, including albatross, have been killed by a commercial longline fishing boat off the New Zealand coast.
The kill, the highest recorded in the ling fishery, has prompted calls from the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society for the Government to immediately close the ling
longline fishery.
Industry representatives say it is an isolated, unfortunate incident.
Conservation Minister Sandra Lee has described the kill as alarming and will meet Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson to discuss bolstering existing measures to avoid seabird deaths.
During a recent six-week trip in the Chatham Rise, 293 petrels and 11 albatross were killed by longlines set by the Son Risa.
The boat, which is registered with Nelson company J. S Fishing, returned to the port last weekend. A Ministry of Fisheries observer had been on board.
Dr Barbara Maas, manager of the Conservation Service's levy programme, set up in 1996 to work with industry and environmental groups to reduce the numbers of protected species killed as a result of commercial fishing, described the incident as "very disappointing".
"The Department of Conservation, including the minister, is taking this very seriously. We will do our very best to avoid a repeat of this."
Dr Maas said options to reduce the seabird kill included setting up a voluntary code of practice for the ling fishery, like that used effectively by tuna fishers in the past and increased observer coverage on boats.
Ministry of Fisheries spokesman Alan Meek said environmental factors, such as a large number of birds in an area, could have caused the high death toll.
