Seabirds safe: monitoring finds minimal impact from fishing
An onboard monitoring program has revealed an extremely low number of interactions between seabirds and NSW commercial line fishing operations.
This is a fantastic result, providing evidence of sustainable fishing practices.
Dr Kyle Tyler, a scientist with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and project lead, said the program involved trained scientific observers onboard commercial fishing boats operating in northern NSW.
“While at sea with commercial fishers, we gathered operational details, catch statistics and importantly, data on wildlife abundance and interactions,” he said.
The program also investigated why the number of seabirds near fishing vessels varied during different trips. Notably, observers typically sighted higher numbers of seabirds during their breeding season.
Dr Daniel Johnson, another DPIRD scientist who jointly led the program, highlighted a key finding. Despite encountering a significant number of seabirds — a total of 6,695 observed around the vessels during 327 fishing trips — there were no documented seabird fatalities.
"A total of 15 seabirds were observed to come into physical contact with fishing operations, such as striking a line or eating baits; however, all were released alive," he said.
This work forms part of NSW DPIRD Fisheries Ocean Trap and Line fishery observer survey and Strategies for mitigating species interactions projects.
The research addresses key knowledge gaps outlined in the NSW Marine Estate Threat and Risk Assessment.
It was funded by the NSW Government under the Marine Estate Management Strategy.
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