Southern Seabird Solutions - Our Management Committee

Our Management Committee

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 (Honorary Management Committee Member) 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.

Igor Debski works in the Marine Conservation Services section of the Department of Conservation. Since joining DOC in 2007 he has worked on variety of projects including seabird and marine mammal population studies, projects investigating the interaction between protected species and commercial fisheries, and both seabird and marine mammal bycatch mitigation trials. He has a research background in the population dynamics of rain forest trees and has also participated in a range of conservation and bird research projects.

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.

Alan Riwaka is of Te Atiawa Ngati Rarua descent and was born and raised in Te Tau Ihu (the top of the South Island). For the past seven years Alan has worked for the Maori Fisheries Commission and its predecessor Te Ohu Kaimoana Trustee Ltd. As Senior Fisheries Management Advisor, Alan is an advocate of Maori fishing interests and responsible for representing Te Ohu Kaimoana in Ministry of Fisheries and industry fisheries management processes, including stock sustainability, developing fisheries, environmental impacts, and seabird mitigation. Alan has been a member of Southern Seabird Solutions since it was established in 2004.

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.

Doug Saunders-Loder is Resource Manager for Talley’s Group Limited. Doug is also the President of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen – a role he has held for the past seven years. Doug has been in the fishing industry for 23 years and over that time has been a strong advocate for inshore fishermen. He is currently involved in inshore fisheries issues ranging from Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) increases to property rights protection to implementing environmental standards.

Paul Taylor is Sealord’s Vessel Manager for the factory trawlers Rehua and Will Watch. The Will Watch is Sealord's first factory freezer trawler and is based in Mauritius. Paul has over 35 years experience in the fishing industry, including 18 years in various vessel management roles with fresh, factory and charter vessels. He started his career as a technician servicing and installing electronic equipment on fishing vessels.

Richard Wells is an Associate of Clement & Associates, Fisheries Advocates and Specialists and works with the Deepwater Group Ltd. Currently his main focus is on environmental effects of fishing issues, fisheries economics and management policy. Recent professional highlights include leading the development of the Benthic Protection Area concept and plan in partnership with Clement and Associates, and successfully delivering it to industry. He has spent much of the last two years working with the deepwater trawl fleet to reduce and manage interactions with seabirds and sealions. Before becoming a consultant in 2005, Richard spent many years working for Sealord in a variety of roles, including Fishing Operations Manager and General Manager Processing.