Bycatch and the Northern Prawn Fishery, Australia

A short video on the reduction in bycatch due to the use of turtle excluder devices in the Northern Prawn Fishery, Australia.
For more about small and large bycatch reduction initiatives in Australian trawl fisheries, check out these links:
• The Gulf St. Vincent P...
www.afma.gov.au/wp-content/upl...
More innovations for trawl fisheries with this UK invention - "escape rings" that light up to help small bycatch escape trawl nets: www.bbc.com/news/technology-19...

[@slabbydog007]

use of teds is great but lets not forget that huge quantities of immature and small fish and invertebrates are discarded as bycatch

[@garydrivinit1959]

The prawning industry has come a long way just by watching these informative shows ,Its just a pitty that the wingers never got to see the amount of bycatch when I was working out of Brunswick heads 20 years ago then maybe they would be greatfull to the fishing industry for all they have done and maybe just enjoy the next prawn they eat.AND be greatfull to the men and women who spend the long hours at sea. Good on you guys wish I was back at sea .

[@PaladinPoppie]

As I Shrimp Fisherman in Louisiana, US I enjoy watching how other countries catch shrimp. We do it the same style but a little different. Pretty much the same regulations and yes we also have to have TEDs.

[@99IronDuke]

When I worked on Prawn trawlers back in the day (over 10 years ago) a lot of skippers had the turtle excluders sewn up, when they were not likely to be inspected.

[@SeaNetNT]

Thanks Gary. Yes the prawning industry in Australia is vastly different to what it was 20 years ago. Unfortunately the huge leaps in better gear, bycatch reduction devices, reduction in effort etc. has gone largely unrecognised by Joe Public. They seem to be basing their perceptions on outdated information or horror stories from other countries instead of giving some kudos to well-managed Australian fisheries.

[@SeaNetNT]

And that's why NPF trawlers are also legally equired to use another bycatch reduction device for excluding small bycatch (including small prawns - their livelihood for the next season) such as a popeye fish box or panel of square mesh.

[@pauljohn3230]

Good on you mate. I don't want to see any unnecessary bycatch but it seems you guys are doing your best to keep it at a minimal/acceptable level. Respect.

[@SeaNetNT]

Other devices are being trialled such as a rubber road cone used in conjunction with a panel of square mesh - creating turbulence and an area of low water flow at the top of the net which attracts small fish seeking to escape the pull of the trawl - they are then allowed to escape through the panel of square mesh.

[@adgfx]

excellent video.. loved it!! wishes to all those who took the struggle to create this!

[@SeaNetNT]

And I'm sure that makes a huge difference. Others prefer to work with the fishing industry on practical solutions to some of these problems, and to ensure that improvements are continually made in our wildcatch and aquaculture fisheries. I've posted some links in the info section. There is a huge amount of work been done on both small and large bycatch in Australian trawl fisheries. I would be more concerned about the environmental and food safety issues of some of our imported products.

[@lyndihodson9740]

Loved workin on the Proteus in mid 80s..sistership Maggie Jo..both frm Hervey Bay 💖💖

[@sheridanmatthews316]

The NPF is one of the very best managed fisheries in the world. With the 3 month fishing season in the Gulf of Carpentaria, there is more than enough to sustain the entire fleet with the remaining 9 months left for the stock to replenish.

[@lisawaters6839]

I don't know when you were last fishing in the gulf, but that is not correct. I started , there 30 yrs ago, then there was 305 boats and we could fish for 11 months, slowly with a buy back scheme of the licences, we have 52 boats and we fish 1st April to mid june, then we break till 1st of August, and then work thru till 30th nov.

[@sritalan]

i salute the crew.. the bestttttt

[@SeaNetNT]

There was no missing part, it did show the whole catch, mainly banana prawns & some small fish - it showed it clearly when the codend was emptied into the sorting tray. We are not yet at the stage of zero bycatch & may never be. You have to decide what is an acceptable level of bycatch. If you think it is zero, well you'll have have to shut down all food production, including vegetable & grain farming as they have the equivalent of bycatch in terms of species displacement & pest management.

[@LiarGameSecretariat]

ShT are those white things surrounding the net?

[@user-bz9rf8jj6s]

amazing

[@7466nuts]

Good stuff , looking after the wee turtle then.

[@MsVroege]

What happened to those small fish you catched, will they be thrown back to the sea even though most of them are dead?

[@jasonfreeman2887]

small fish you catched, really? I hope you're a kid or you are fucking ignorant. if you're a kid sorry!

[@anmllvr234]

nice music

[@giggs11amazing]

cool

[@seefoodonline5615]

Good on you slabby .,. More prawns for the rest of us !!!

[@bullsnutsoz]

Bullshit these are mainly shipped off by pirates... Why cant Aussies have reasonable priced prawns.the free trade criminals are gutting this industry $$$$

[@boyangler]

woow good😍👍

[@thepinxos]

una red demasiado pequeña, me refiero a los agujeros

[@SeaNetNT]

Yes, the small fish will be thrown back and the dead ones will become food for other animals. The use of hoppers (which hold the catch in sea water before sorting) keeps the prawns fresh and allows some of the small bycatch to survive. As I said in an earlier comment, no form of food production has zero impact on other species (including insects, rodents, small mammals, reptiles not to mention the displacement of native species due to farming). We work to minimise that impact in fisheries.

[@35dedos]

I worked on the Proteus back in the early 90's in the gulf. Men who worked on prawn trawlers back then made really good money. Now the industry is fucked from all that imported cheap shit. Price of fuel and low prices equals a dead and dying industry, its a shame because most Australians dont realise that imported stuff is no good for you.

[@s258298]

I couldn't help but notice the part missing in this video. Was video of the by-catch. I am sure good steps are taken and all but if you don't show the hole catch the wast and what lives and dies. People aren't stupid show a video of the by-catch then let people see the holistic view. of prawn fishing

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

Forget about the turtles and sharks for a second and think about the millions upon millions of sponges, jellyfish, sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, tunicates, snails, clams, anemones, zooplankton, non-target crustaceans, and many other invertebrates.

[@SeaNetNT]

CSIRO gives fishing trawlers a clean bill of health bit.ly/2bKfdVe

[@yz4901983]

I think you are taking the piss. Cheers, Frank

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

yz4901983 Who, me?

[@yz4901983]

nah I'm sure you have true and pure feelings for your fellow organisms

[@photoslum]

and that's the attitude that causes the most damage

[@KinGIIRomE]

Why the porno tune?

[@friskyfellow]

Sitting here licking my lips.......

[@bradcooper8315]

still tons of juvenile fish as bycatch

[@SeaNetNT]

And then they go and buy imported prawns from countries with poor fisheries management, dubious environmental protection and poor food safety standards???

[@bullsnutsoz]

Why cant Aussies have reasonable priced prawns.the free trade criminals are gutting this industry $$$$

[@minamarta5]

Catch like no body business

[@allanhill7535]

I would hate to see the day when there are no fish left to catch.

[@husainbano8374]

Allan Hill byyy

[@jakob8947]

2048 at this current rate, as research predicts.

[@jeffkingofearth]

That is only plastic left in the ocean by then

[@lyndihodson9740]

Shark protection is only thing wipin out all else..so many these days they r eatin eachother. Dont blame fishermen lol way too many strict rules better technology on board these days.

[@bombnail]

@@jeffkingofearth There is about the same amount of discarded fishing gear in the ocean :(

[@dononghoihuongcuaco4915]

ksp house jeffnippard lanadelrey

[@Rich_828]

SWIM DOWN!!!!!!!!

[@glennharrison4691]

What about all the other creatures they kill!

[@watertothepeople]

The capture of turtles has been reduced by 99% - catches of sharks and rays have also been reduced (..) - BY HOW MANY % !?! This information is useless and suspicious without a number, it could be a very insignificant reduction. But the biggest bycatch problem of prawn fishing isn't the big animals, but the mind blowing amount of juvenile fish, moluscs..all individuals that have never spawned. Don't know about Australia, but some prawn fishing industries have catch rates of 20kg of bycatch for 1 kg of prawns. bon apetite!

[@yz4901983]

I agree with you, by catch is a problem and mores needs to be done. Knowing The Australian way, we will work it out. I know after lessons learnt (before the brink) we look after our fisheries ( fishing free eras and reserves that should put in place sooner rather than later as fish don't know what a boundary is ) We need to keep on learning

[@watertothepeople]

yz4901983 And I agree with you..Australia looks after their fisheries much better than many other countries. I am involved with fisheries research and management here in Brazil and I refer a lot to AUS research and management. The thing is..bottom trawling for prawn will always be very destructive and produce tons of by catch. But shrimp farms are a environmental disaster too, mainly in mangrove areas. Looks like the only thing we can do is to consume no or less prawns / shrimps...unless we find sustainable ways to farm or catch it.

[@yz4901983]

That's right. Once the consumer realise how bad aquiculture farming is in the 3rd world countries,things will change. But there is not enough awareness of the destruction of wilderness mangroves to get the festive sea food ( prawns in our case ) on the table. I watch a docco on the orange roughie fishery last night and yet another disaster when the mighty dollar talks

[@watertothepeople]

Yes deep sea trawling is the next sad chapter. Cleaning entire sea mounts with spawning orange roughy for years before science even knew anything about the long life history - takes some 30 or more years to reproduce

[@watertothepeople]

+Ness McGuren well..that's were your very wrong. I work and research in aquatic ecology and fisheries. But congrats on your valuable comment..well chosen words

[@MISHA12314]

Anyone that thinks wild caught shrimp are a bad thing should only eat the pond raised variety. They taste like crap, are full of antibiotics and preservatives, are never actually IQF'd. Everything from sea gulls to sharks depend on the boats for supper. All commercial fishing is regulated, which makes everything more expensive... including your supper. Besides, commercial fisherman are a part of the sea... just like all the other creatures on it or in it. Some people just need a horse to ride and complain abou the imagined "pillage" of the sea. Same people think man is destroying the enviornment. They talk a lot about global warming. That turned out to not be true, so they now call it "climate change". Of course the climate is changing. It always has.

[@slabbydog007]

i boycot all wild harvest prawns (and aquaculture shrimp for that matter) and i encourage all my friends and family to do the same

[@Kenneth-fg4tc]

JESUS is coming soon i want you to repent and give your life to JESUS CHRIST for you to make HEAVEN and to be safe please repent and stop doing bad things and follow JESUS.

[@rogerrabbit8021]

yawns loudly so bs fisher shit./

[@Peraj82]

looting the sea