Project aims to show costs and benefits of seabird safe fishing on the high seas.

Mike Te Pou with a hookpod credit Tamzin Henderson
Tamzin Henderson
16 Jan 2025
Southern Seabirds and the Department of Conservation are also working on a project to calculate and communicate the costs and benefits of seabird safe fishing on the high seas.

While there is a willingness and action in some parts of the high seas tuna supply chain to move to seabird-safe fishing practices, the first question many in the industry ask is “what will it cost?”

Seabirds Trust Convenor Janice Molloy says unless fleet managers and vessel captains believe there are economic benefits to using seabird mitigation, it will be very difficult to convince them to use seabird safe measures on their vessels.

Thankfully some early work carried out by DOC shows it may be financially beneficial to use seabird safe measures. Put simply, less bait taken off hooks by seabirds, leaves more hooks ready to catch tuna.

The project will analyse the direct and indirect financial benefits from using seabird safe measures.  It will work with fishing companies to explore seabird captures/bait attack rates, mitigation costs, bait costs, and tuna sales, and to carry out a full economic analysis. The project will also analyse and communicate the biological benefits of seabird safe fishing. For example, how many seabirds will be saved if X measures are used in Y location?

Seabirds Trust Convenor Janice Molloy says the full funding required is yet to be secured for this important project. To donate directly to our Antipodean Albatross Project with funds going directly to the Southern Seabirds Trust please click on the button below.

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