Responsible fishing in South Africa
In early September, Janice and Management Committee member Rebecca Bird of WWF-New Zealand were invited speakers at the launch of South Africa’s Responsible Fisheries Alliance (RFA).
The Alliance currently includes WWF-South Africa and four major fishing companies – I&J, Oceana, Sea Harvest and Viking – who have all come together to achieve a common goal of responsible fishing and the implementation of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management.
As Rebecca says, “Janice and I were able to talk about our experience working within a collaborative alliance like Southern Seabirds, which for some industry and NGO players can be quite a foreign concept. We also planted the seed of the RFA and Southern Seabirds working together in the future on projects of mutual interest.”
Special thanks to New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for funding Janice’s trip. Thanks also to WWF-New Zealand for ensuring that Rebecca was able to support WWF South Africa’s initiative over the past year and to be part of the Alliance’s launch.
Alliance partners at the launch of RFA. Photo courtesy WWF-South Africa.
A path to solutions
The Trust is working on a project to assist fishermen and inventors in developing their ideas on seabird mitigation. The project includes establishing an international panel of experts to give fishermen and others a confidential assessment of their mitigation ideas, a web-based resource where people with ideas can learn more about various aspects of mitigation development, and a seed fund that will be set up to help people progress their inventions.
Special thanks to Solander, Sanford Limited and Te Ohu Kaimoana for coming onboard as initial sponsors of this project.
Education in South America
Peru-based Pro Delphinus and Southern Seabird Solutions Trust recently joined forces to develop a Spanish-language educational resource that’s already being used in port communities in Peru and other South American countries.
The series of fact sheets were printed for use in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. The resource is also available on the web. The project would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors: Marine Conservation Action Fund of the New England Aquarium, WWF-New Zealand, Encounter Kaikoura, American Bird Conservancy and NOAA.
The fact sheets are available on our website and at www.prodelphinus.org.
Photo courtesy Pro Delphinus.
Seabird saving invention wins big
The underwater baited hook – initially conceived of by New Zealand fisherman and management committee member Dave Kellian – has won the International WWF Smart Gear Competition.
The $30,000 USD prize was awarded to Phil Ashworth, general manager of Australia-based Amerro Engineering and Dr Graham Robertson, a principal research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division. The inventors defeated over 70 entrants from 27 countries.
Designed for use on coastal tuna and swordfish vessels worldwide, the inventors are hopeful that the device will be commercially available in the very near future.
“It’s a device that we are excited about here in New Zealand, not only because it’s Dave’s brainchild, but also because all signs point to it reducing seabird bycatch in longline tuna fisheries here and elsewhere,” says Trust Convenor Janice Molloy.
Learn more about the competition at www.smartgear.org.
Making movies
In August 2009 the Trust made a brief film for Janice to show as part of her presentation at the Responsible Fisheries Alliance launch in South Africa. In the film Trustee Bill Mansfield, along with Management Committee members Richard Wells, Dave Kellian and Alan Riwaka talked candidly about efforts to solve seabird bycatch. You can now view the film on our website.
Management Committee member and tuna fisherman Dave Kellian was also featured in episode 6 of the BBC’s Fragile Paradise series. Dave took the BBC film crew out on his vessel to give them a fisherman’s-eye view of the seabird bycatch issue.
Management Committee member and scientist Christopher Robertson was recently interviewed for a film about albatrosses. The film makers also interviewed past Management Committee member Malcolm McNeill. The film will be released in November 2009. Visit www.fadingcolours.co.nz to learn more.
Members of the Management Committee. Photo courtesy of Te Ohu Kaimoana. Photographer: Kirsty Woods.
News briefs
New regulations announced
As of 1 October new regulations came into effect that allow the New Zealand government to quickly put in place and refine mandatory measures for fishing vessels to avoid accidentally catching seabirds.
The new regulation allows for mandatory mitigation – steps vessels must take to avoid or minimise any accidental seabird captures – to be specified for particular high risk areas, high risk fisheries or for individual fishing vessels that are not doing enough to prevent seabird deaths.
First World Seabird Conference
The Seabird: Linking the Global Oceans conference is set to be held 7–11 September 2010 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The aim of this conference is to put seabird management and conservation into a worldwide perspective.
Visit www.worldseabirdconference.com to learn more.
Deepwater Group sets the standard
Over 300 people have completed the New Zealand Seafood Industry Training Organisation’s (SITO) seabird unit standard since it was published in 2003. The standard was updated last year by Southern Seabird Solutions for SITO with funding provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries.
The number of people to earn the unit standard is about to increase as John Cleal of F.V. Management Services Ltd plans to incorporate the unit into the Deepwater Group environmental training learning resource for the New Zealand deepwater fleet this year.
Skipper Wayne Christianson and John Cleal testing the efficiency of road cones as drag weights for tori lines onboard the Amaltal Mariner. Photo courtesy F.V. Management Services Ltd.
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