OceanWatch held a Whale Entanglement Mitigation workshop at Sydney Fish Market in early March 2021. This was part of the East Coast Whale Entanglement Mitigation Program, initiated in NSW to respond to issues associated with whale entanglements. In attendance were professional fishers from the NSW ocean trap and line fishery, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW DPI, OceanWatch and the Professional Fisher’s Association of NSW.
The workshop encouraged attendees to discuss the outcomes of initial gear trials, and identify and prioritise future actions to help minimise whale entanglement. It was great to have the knowledge and experience of professional fishers in the process, demonstrating a commitment to drive a reduction in whale entanglements on the NSW east coast.
Learn more about the program and the specifics of gear trials here: https://www.oceanwatch.org.au/east-coast-whale…/
This Program is funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and the Australian Government Marine Park Fisheries Assistance Extension Program.