The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is currently developing a Protected Species Strategy for Seabirds.
It held a Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Workshop on 24-25 October in Hobart as part of its development and gave presentations to help inform others about seabird protection from their individual perspectives. It was attended by conservation, government, science and commercial fishing participants.
Minimising interactions with seabirds during fishing operations is a priority for the AMFA alongside assisting the Commonwealth fishing industry to meet the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in relation to seabird interaction.
During the workshop, Dr Rachael Alderman, seabird scientist, presented on the life cycle, distribution and foraging ranges for shy albatross. This provided the group with an understanding of where commercial and recreational fisheries spatially intersect with the species.
Following this, Simon Boag, South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association’s executive officer, gave a presentation on the industry-based work being done in trawl fisheries to further reduce seabird interactions.
This work is recognised as a model of how the Commonwealth fishing industry can address the issue.
A second seabird workshop is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2017 to review AFMA’s draft Protected Species Strategy for Seabirds.
