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16 Minimisation of the incidental mortality of seabirds in the course of longline fishing or longline fishing research in the Convention Area

16.1 A person using a boat in the Convention Area for fishing must ensure that the fishing operations of the boat are conducted in a way that all procedural measures set out in the Conservation Measure are taken to ensure that hooklines sink beyond the reach of seabirds as soon as possible after they are put in the water. 16.2 If the person uses an autoline system, the person must: (a) add weights to the hookline while deploying a longline; or (b) use integrated weight hooklines while deploying a longline. 16.3 If the person uses the Spanish method of longline fishing: (a) the person must use: (i) traditional weights made of rocks or concrete of at least 8.5 kg mass, spaced at intervals of no more than 40 m; or (ii) traditional weights made of rocks or concrete of at least 6 kg, spaced at intervals of no more than 20 m; or (iii) solid steel weights, not made from chain links, of at least 5 kg mass, spaced at intervals of no more than 40 m; and (b) the person must release the weights before line tension occurs. 16.4 If the person uses the trotline system exclusively (not alternating between trotlines and the Spanish method of longline fishing within the same longline), the person must use: (a) traditional weights made of rocks or concrete of at least 6 kg mass, but only at the distal end of the droppers in the trotline; or (b) solid steel weights of at least 5 kg mass, but only at the distal end of the droppers in the trotline. 16.5 If the person alternates between using trotlines and the Spanish method of longline fishing within the same longline: (a) for the Spanish method of longline fishing, the person must comply with subclause 16.3; and (b) for the trotline method, the person must use: (i) traditional weights made of rocks or concrete of at least 8.5 kg mass; or (ii) solid steel weights of at least 5 kg mass; that are attached on the hook‑end of all droppers in the trotline at no more than 80 m intervals. 16.6 A person using a boat for longline fishing must, to the extent allowed by weather conditions, use a bird exclusion device in: (a) any of Statistical Subareas 48.3, 58.6 or 58.7 of the Convention Area; or (b) any of Statistical Divisions 58.5.1 or 58.5.2 in the Convention Area. 16.7 A person using a boat in the Convention Area for longline fishing at night must use only the minimum lights of the boat that are necessary for safety. 16.8 A person using a boat in the Convention Area for fishing: (a) must not dump offal while longlines are being set; and (b) must deploy a streamer line, in accordance with Annex 25‑02/A of CCAMLR Conservation Measure 25‑02, during longline setting; and (c) must only discharge offal on the opposite side of the boat to where longlines have been hauled; and (d) must remove all fish hooks from offal before it is discharged.