Seabird Smart Fishers' Workshop
In February the Trust held two pilot workshops with inshore fishers in Auckland and Timaru as the beginning of its Seabird Smart Fishers Programme.
The programme will be delivered through workshops where fishers learn about the lives of seabirds they see around their vessels, and gain a deeper understanding of the impact of fishing on seabird populations. Fishers will discuss current best practice mitigation methods and practices for their fishing method, as well as new ideas they have been experimenting with. The Trust hopes the workshops will motivate fishers to share their own knowledge about what proven or new methods they use to keep seabirds away from fishing vessels, and inspire them to make further changes on their boats.
 Participants at the first workshop - Matt Anderson, Kris Ramm, Clinton Payne and Steve Jones. Photo: Grant Southam |
The first workshops - Auckland and Timaru
Participants receive stickers as above for their vessels and car bumpers
Feedback from the two pilots has been positive and some promising developments have been made since the workshops. Several skippers are already making improvements to the bird bafflers they are currently using to keep seabirds away from trawl warps. Another skipper is planning to trial a new way of keeping seabirds away from trawl cables on his vessel.
These are exactly the kinds of outcomes the workshop programme is looking to encourage - fishers taking ownership of the problem because they understand it, and see the benefits in doing so.
More information regarding the content and scope of the workshops is available here.
This project is sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, the Department of Conservation and Sanford Ltd.