ACAP Small Grant 2024-09

Support for ACAP Best Practice Implementation through Port-based Outreach in the Pacific 

Project Leader: Dr Stephanie Borrelle, BirdLife International, Suva, Fiji

Co-investigators: Tiffany Plencner, Department of Conservation, New Zealand

Amount Awarded: AUD 57,200 (Partially supported by a Voluntary Contribution from Chinese Taipei)

In 2017, BirdLife International (BLI) established a Port Based Outreach (PBO) program in Suva, Fiji. This program focuses on promoting ACAP best practice seabird bycatch mitigation and compliance in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) convention area. Though the use of seabird bycatch mitigation measures is mandatory when fishing south of 25°S under the Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs) of the WCPFC, enforcement remains a challenge. Many vessel operators are either unaware of the regulations or cite cost and logistical difficulties as reasons for non-compliance. The PBO program’s direct engagement with captains and crews helps bridge this gap by providing hands-on training and ensuring that vessel operators have access to the necessary tools and knowledge to comply with Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) requirements. During our programme, we have targeted Chinese-flagged vessels as a priority for outreach. Since 2019, more than half of the 383 Chinese vessels registered to fish in the high seas of the WCPFC convention area have been visited. Similarly, the program has engaged with a significant portion of the Fijian longline fleet, with 78% of Fiji-flagged vessels visited since the project began. There are three components of the PBO that we are requesting funding for as follows:

1) One of the key challenges identified by the PBO program is the difficulty in sourcing materials to make compliant tori lines locally. While some vessels attempt to create their own tori lines using available materials, these often do not meet the required standards, rendering them ineffective or non-compliant with RFMO regulations. To address this challenge, in 2018 BLI established a local women’s group in Suva to construct tori lines for the program. Each participant of the women’s group has received training, funding, and materials from the New Zealand Government and BLI to construct the tori-lines. BLI imports high-quality materials from New Zealand, ensuring that they are durable, effective, and meet international technical standards. Between 2018 and December 2023, the women’s group constructed a total of 62 tori lines. Of these, 55 tori lines have been distributed to fishing companies. This initiative not only supports the local community by providing employment opportunities but also addresses a critical need for readily available tori lines for a significant proportion of the Pacific tuna longline fleet using Port Suva to offload and resupply. As the cost of purchasing tori lines was often cited as a deterrent for vessel operators, BLI makes them freely available to vessels fishing south of 25°S. This change significantly increased uptake, as vessel operators are now more willing to use tori lines when there is no associated financial burden. Now, when operators we have engaged with plan for their vessels to fish south of 25°S, they are approaching the PBO officer for tori lines to equip their vessels (the vessels sometimes offload the tori lines when they are not fishing south of 25°S).

 2) A significant portion of the vessels targeted by the PBO are flagged to China, with many of the captains and crew members speaking little to no English. This language barrier has been a notable challenge in effectively communicating the importance of seabird bycatch mitigation and ensuring that vessel operators understand the legal obligations under RFMO regulations. While the PBO officer is Fijian and can converse to crew in local dialects, there has been a need to contract translators fluent in Mandarin to assist in outreach efforts. By employing translators, the PBO officer can more effectively convey critical information during vessel visits, ensuring that non-English-speaking captains and crew members fully comprehend the technical aspects of bycatch mitigation tools, such as how to correctly deploy and maintain tori lines and line weighting specifications. Further, we are identifying vessels to trial line weighting sets on their vessels and Hookpod trials, with translators, guidance can be given more clearly on technical aspects when challenges arise without ‘lost in translation’ issues. This is particularly important given that seabird conservation measures, and implementation troubleshooting are often detailed and require nuanced advice to be effective. Additionally, providing materials and training in the crew’s native language fosters better compliance and cooperation, as vessel operators are more likely to adopt best practices when they fully understand their significance.

 3) Through the work of the Department of Conservation (DOC), Aotearoa New Zealand, tracking ACAP listed species to assess fisheries interactions, Vanuatu flagged vessels have been identified as a priority fleet for engagement. However, vessels that are flagged to Vanuatu rarely visit Port Vila, instead offload and resupply in Taiwan or via transhipping. This makes accessing these vessels challenging. In collaboration with the Vanuatu Ministry of Fisheries, DOC New Zealand and BLI will provide a pilot training workshop for the Vanuatu Vessel Inspectors on seabird bycatch mitigation inspections in the first quarter of 2025. The workshop will include hands-on instruction for inspectors on the technical aspects of ACAP best practice bycatch mitigation measures to record, along with outreach strategies to engage vessel operators in adopting these practices. This will equip the government of Vanuatu to ensure that vessels with their flag are compliant with seabird bycatch mitigation required by the RFMOs, in addition to raising awareness of ACAP Best Practice. A similar workshop was hosted in French Polynesia January of 2024, which resulted in two vessels being equipped with tori lines during the workshop, local materials for tori line construction identified, six observers trained on checking the specifications of tori lines and deployment, and a prioritisation list for vessels to be equipped with tori lines.