A new Department of Conservation study shows there are 35,000 unexplained deaths, in the past eleven years, of the already critical antipodean albatross.
Conservationists blame the deaths on the longlines used by fishing boats, which the birds get caught in, and say if things do not change, the birds will be extinct within the next 20 years.
Sea bird expert, Dr Stephanie Borrelle, says at the same time as their numbers plummet, the number of observers on New Zealand longline boats, has continued to fall.
Last year just 8 percent of longline hooks were observed by Fisheries New Zealand, compared to 25 percent in 2015.
Dr Borrelle told Fisheries reporter Conan Young that time was running out for antipodean albatrosses.
Fisheries NZ says observer coverage on boats can fluctuate depending on other monitoring priorities, fishing activity and the weather.
Sector group, Seafood New Zealand says the industry is committed to mitigating its impact on seabirds and has made significant progress in doing so through a number of trials of new technologies.
It says it is willing to work with the government on the rollout of onboard cameras.
