International seabird specialists met with local longline tuna fishers at the Indonesian Tuna Longline Association offices in Benoa Port, Bali, Indonesia, in February to discuss the methods and challenges of keeping seabirds away from their hooks.
Skippers' workshops like these, where scientists and vessel captains meet to exchange knowledge on limiting the accidental capture of non-target species, are an important tool to help prevent seabirds from being injured or killed in tuna fisheries.
Limiting bycatch of endangered species, such as the iconic albatross and other seabirds, is crucial not only for the survival of the magnificent birds that roam the high seas but also for the health of the entire marine ecosystem.
The workshop was organized through the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna project, supported by the FAO-led Common Oceans Tuna Project in partnership with the Indonesian government and the NGO BirdLife International.
''Albatrosses are the cleaners of the sea,"
said Ross Wanless, seabird specialist and Project Coordinator at the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), who co-led the workshop.
"Without them the nutrients of the dead squid or fish they eat drop down to the seafloor. It can take millennia for those nutrients to get back to the top where the tuna feed."
Seabirds are also foragers, contributing to the balance of species in marine ecosystems and serving as indicators of the health of the oceans. Thus, they are important actors in the ecosystem-based approach to sustainable fisheries management.
A key guiding principle of the workshops, based on methods developed over more than a decade, is the recognition that fishers have years of practical experience at sea that the scientists can never match. Therefore, knowledge exchange is crucial to the implementation of effective bycatch prevention methods.
Several scientifically proven techniques prevent seabird bycatch in longline fishing, including tori lines (or bird-scaring lines), adding weight close to the hook, or setting hooks only at night. Hook shields that encase the point and barb during line setting are also recommended.
"Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, each measure works in its particular way but has its own limitations as well,"
said Wanless,
"This changes when they're used in combination with the other bycatch mitigation measures, with each measure compensating for a shortcoming of the other."
It was the first Common Oceans seabird workshop with tuna fishers in Bali, so the main task of the organizers was to explain why preventing and reporting seabird bycatch is part of the fishing vessels' obligations under the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) reporting and sustainability requirements.
Regulations adopted by RFMOs to prevent bycatch are not always effectively communicated to fishers, which can reduce buy-in and lead to lower compliance.
The material presented covered why seabirds keep tuna stocks healthy, descriptions of effective bycatch mitigation techniques and the importance of accurate reporting procedures.
The fishers and skippers were also given laminated posters produced by CCSBT to take on board, with graphics explaining the best ways to set their lines to avoid catching birds. The benefits of reducing seabird bycatch are not limited to ecosystem health but can also improve the efficiency of individual fishing boats.
"Every time a bird takes a bait, that's one less fish you can catch"
said Joe Zelasney, Project Manager for the FAO-led Common Oceans Tuna project, which supports governments, NGOs and fisheries organizations in organizing the workshops.
The Bali workshop had the backing of the Indonesian government and was also beneficial for those responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the RFMO rules.
"The seabird mitigation workshop organized by CCSBT in Indonesia is a very important and timely step towards sustainable tuna fisheries management.''
said Pak Dodiet, a senior government official and former fisheries observer, and one of the workshop's participants.
"Through interaction and discussion, we were able to learn from each other and improve coordination in seabird mitigation efforts,"
he said.
The Common Oceans Tuna Project is a global partnership that aims to advance responsible tuna fisheries management and biodiversity conservation in the ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. It is one of the five projects managed by the Common Oceans Programme that is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by FAO. It works in collaboration with the five regional tuna fisheries management organizations, intergovernmental organizations, national governments, civil society, and the private sector.
About the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is an intergovernmental organization responsible for the management of southern bluefin tuna throughout its distribution. The CCSBT's objective is to ensure, through appropriate management, the conservation and optimum utilization of southern bluefin tuna. Members of the Extended Commission comprise: Australia, the European Union, the Fishing Entity of Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and South Africa.
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