Fisheries New Zealand said it was considering extending mandatory measures for surface longline fishing to new areas.
But Forest & Bird seabird advocate Sue Maturin said fishers targeting species such as tuna and swordfish ought to be required to use all three best practice methods "everywhere, all the time".
Commercial fishers using surface longlines were required by law to use various mitigations, but present protection was "woefully inadequate".
The number of birds being caught off the Otago coast was unacceptable, Ms Maturin said.
Forest & Bird was calling for the use of hook-shielding devices on all hooks, or mandating "three out of three" mitigation methods across New Zealand. Deploying seabird-scaring streamers on lines, setting lines at night, and using line weights - three-out-of-three - was already known best practice expected to be used in a voluntary capacity, "but because it’s voluntary, they don’t bother".
There were some really good fishers who wanted to do it right, Ms Maturin said.
However, the 18 unidentified albatrosses reported as by-catch off the Otago coast were unreliable as an indicator of the number of albatrosses caught as not all by-catch was reported, Ms Maturin said.
The albatrosses reported caught were likely to include severely threatened species such as antipodean, Gibson’s, Salvin’s or royal albatrosses.
There would be a variety of other seabird species caught as well.
More than 1000 seabirds were caught by surface longlines around the country every year.
Fisheries New Zealand fisheries management director Emma Taylor said a decision on rule changes would be made by the chief executive of the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Consultation on changes to seabird mitigation measures for surface longline fishing closed in May and the ministry received 3180 submissions (including 3103 form letters) representing a wide range of views, she said.
As a result of the feedback received, Fisheries New Zealand was considering extending the proposed measures to include additional fisheries areas.
The ministry would be engaging further with key stakeholders on the issue in the coming weeks.
Advice would be drafted after this additional targeted engagement "and a decision will follow in due course".
