Academy raises awarness on bycatch to fishers

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Captain Charles Pickering (left) and Captain Tevita Robanakadavu during the launch of Bycatch Best Handling Practices: A Guideline for Skippers and Crew on Longline Fishing Vessels in Fiji’ and ‘Best Practice for Bycatch Mitigation in Fiji’s Tuna Longline Fishery: For Vessel Owners & Operators’ guide. Picture: RAMA

The Fiji Maritime Academy (FMA) at the Fiji National University so far has trained 57 fishers in the country under the NZ Aid project “The Sustainable and Responsible Tuna and Longline Fisheries”.

This was highlighted by FMA lecturer Captain Tevita Robanakadavu while speaking at the “Bycatch Best Handling Practices: A Guideline for Skippers and Crew on Longline Fishing Vessels in Fiji” and “Best Practice for Bycatch Mitigation in Fiji’s Tuna Longline Fishery: For Vessel Owners and Operators” guidelines launch earlier in the week Suva.

Mr Robanakadavu said these fishers were inspired to conduct on-board bycatch awareness to other fishers while at the fishing grounds.

He said FMA was engaged to carry out trainings and awareness major on Protected Species Bycatch Mitigation to current and new fishers.

“The transformation of mindset and attitude towards bycatch of each individual Fishers is required here in order to save non targeted species as essential by the New Zealand Government,” he said.

“One of the career paths designed by the FMA was for the upgrade of fishers, who started their careers onboard ships by meeting the age requirements of 18 years and above with valid safety certificate and where they had completed 13 months practical approved systems on a shipping vessel,” Mr Robanakadavu said.

He added FMA in partnership with WWF offered limited number of scholarships to potential students in undertaking Deckhand Fishing program and Offshore Fishing program for both males and females.

“So far 57 fishers have been selected for Deckhand Fishing Program where we had 33 male and 24 female.

“Out of the selected 57 fishers, 20 were awarded scholarship to pursue the Offshore Fishing Skipper Apprentice Program where we had 11 females and nine males.

“In accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) theme 2019, women in maritime initiative and the NZ aid equal opportunity program, females were strongly encouraged to apply.”

He highlighted that there were more than 60 fishing vessels that were operating in Fiji’s waters and there was a need to train at least 100 new fishers under this project to encourage bycatch mitigation requirements.

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