Rebecca Bird is WWF-New Zealand's marine programme leader and representative on global work to reduce seabird by-catch. Her seabird work includes technical advisory roles, direct engagement with the fishing industry over mitigation development, and liaising with government and communities on by-catch issues. Rebecca graduated from the University of Otago Marine Science Department and has been involved in marine conservation work for over five years.  When not working for the marine environment Rebecca likes to spend her time enjoying it by being out on the water, in the water or reading about all that can be found in the deep blue.

Chris Carey is a fisherman, writer and conservationist. He has been a skipper for Independent Fisheries Ltd (IFL) since 2004. In that role he works closely with IFL management on fisheries management and ways to improve sustainability. Chris was an original member of the Southern Seabird Solutions’ offal and bird mitigation workshops. In 2005 he won international recognition for his seabird mitigation work, as a runner-up in WWF’s International Smart Gear competition for inventing a simple device that stops seabirds getting caught on wires attached to trawl nets. Chris also writes for several magazines, including Seafood New Zealand and Fishing News International.

Spencer Clubb is a Senior Policy Analyst in the National Environmental Team at the Ministry of Fisheries. He is responsible for providing advice on managing the impacts of fishing on seabirds, including implementing New Zealand’s National Plan of Action for Seabirds. Spencer is also a member of the New Zealand delegation to meetings of the Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.

Sarah Crysell is the Communications Manager for the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, a role she’s held since returning fulltime to the workforce in 2005. Prior to that Sarah spent about 12 years balancing the running of a young family with part-time communications work.  This included writing, editing and consultancy for a diverse portfolio of clients in the public and not-for-profit sectors, the Seafood Industry Training Organisation and Seafood New Zealand magazine. Before children Sarah worked in sponsorship management and communications roles for the primary industry. She’s a keen recreational fisher and seafood lover.

Dave Kellian has been a fisherman for more than 30 years.  Dave skippers his own 20 metre vessel, longlining for southern bluefin, bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Over the years he’s fished in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa using a wide range of fishing techniques and is dedicated to reducing seabird captures. A pioneer of New Zealand’s tuna fishery, Dave’s been at the forefront of initiatives for seabird-smart fishing and has also committed significant amounts of personal time and money to develop new mitigation solutions. Dave’s also travelled to Peru to talk friendly fishing methods with fishermen and other stakeholders in that country.

Dave Kreutz is an extension agent for SeaNet, an environmental extension service to the Australian seafood industry that provides fishers with information and advice on improved fishing gear, technology and methods. For 20 years prior he was a professional fisher in various fisheries, including the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF). When still ‘just’ a fisherman Dave invented and trialed the Kreutz Road-Cone Tori Line. This tori-line has since been adopted and been proven successful in fisheries all over the world including pelagic longline, demersal longline and trawl fisheries. Dave’s ambition is to work with fishers to make the ETBF a world leading environmentally sustainable pelagic fishery for seabirds, turtles and other by-catch species.

Janice Molloy, Convenor, has spent most of her career to date working in marine and terrestrial conservation for the Department of Conservation, with a focus on threatened species management. As part of her role she organised a workshop of stakeholders interested in working together to address and solve seabird by-catch, both in New Zealand and other southern hemisphere countries. From this meeting, Southern Seabird Solutions was born. Janice has since left the Department, but continues as Convenor of Southern Seabird Solutions. Janice is also a Board Director of Antarctica New Zealand.

CJR Robertson is a consultant marine ornithologist. He has held education, scientific and consulting roles at the Dominion Museum, New Zealand Wildlife Service, Department of Conservation and Wild Press. He’s a specialist in the ecology of large seabirds, especially gannets and albatrosses, and has led or participated in expeditions to the Antarctic and most New Zealand offshore (subantarctic) islands. Chris is a past President of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Convenor of its Bird Distribution Atlas project and Secretary of its Rarities Committee. He’s a national member of the International Ornithological Committee. Chris is also a Settlor of the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust.

Paul Stigley is the Department of Conservation's representative on the Trust's Management Committee.