Straddling Sets: Clarification of RFMO seabird bycatch mitigation requirements for timing of longline setting

In adopting a revised Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) for seabirds, the Scientific Committee: 1. Reflect on ACAP Best Practice Scientific Advice to clearly define night setting in the revised CMM. Specifically, clarity of advice is required for sets that occur entirely in darkness, versus straddling sets (where a portion of total hooks set enter the water in the daytime, which currently are non-compliant with night setting as a mitigation option). 2. Consider that some vessels have the capability to change gear mid-set, that is from Tori Line (TL) + Night Setting (NS) to TL + Branch Line Weighting (LW). 3. Take into consideration that for line weighting – for straddling sets or otherwise –verification of the line weighting specifications is necessary to ensure mitigation measure configurations are effective. 4. Recognise the urgent need to strengthen the monitoring and reporting framework to ensure that information on the effectiveness of all methods is available to inform future revisions. 5. Contemplate the logical resulting options as follows: a. Require 3/3: LW + TL + NS, or the standalone measures of hook shielding devices (HSD) or underwater bait setters (UBS) – as advised by ACAP as best practice. b. Clarify that provided every hook is set in darkness, either LW or BSL remain a requirement. c. Clarify that straddling sets are considered daylight sets, and therefore both LW + TL apply for the entirety of the set. d. Report straddling sets as two separate fishing operations along with all associated mitigation use and bycatch information.