Ocean Rangers
‘Sustainable fisheries’ is a term thrown around a lot. New Zealand prides itself on being a global leader in this arena. But for too long, local fishermen have been misunderstood, and much like the farmers in the dairy industry, criticised. Large corporations, separated from the frontline, have been caught out, putting money over morals, and it misrepresents the values most fishermen have.
We think it’s time for a change, where instead of putting fishermen in a box and throwing uneducated criticism from the outside, we assist in giving fishermen a voice and subsidise efforts they make to sustain a healthy ocean for everyone. Much like farmers, fishermen know what makes their grass grow; an intact marine food chain, and that means maintaining threatened shark populations, which ensure predatory pressure of fish like tuna, to reproduce and remain healthy.
Recent shark management policy has, however, put a financial burden on fishermen who cut sharks free, by losing a dollar a hook, plus expense involved with trace and crimps.
It’s a simple issue: When fishermen harvest from the ocean, sharks not knowing the difference between a fish and bait means they are often subject to bycatch, specifically with tuna longlining.
When this happens, a fisherman has 2 choices.
Pull the shark on board, cut the hook out of the shark’s mouth, often harming, and sometimes killing, the shark.
Cut the shark free while it is still in the water, allowing the shark to swim away unharmed with a second chance at life.
With the first option, the fishermen can retrieve their hook, however, the shark potentially loses its life. With the second option, the fishermen lose their $1 hook, and the shark swims away free, healthy and happy. It seems like a simple choice, right? Unfortunately, some trips, every 3rd hook is a shark, and we are talking about 2,000 hooks on one line. Not such an easy choice when you’re trying to earn a living.
So, we have come up with a simple solution to both mitigate the requirement to pull a shark on board and reward fishermen who cut sharks free. Sustainable Oceans Society is teaming up with Beauline & Part Time Rangers to create the Ocean Rangers project.
Sustainable Oceans Society will be receiving financial support from Part Time Rangers, which will then be passed onto project member fishermen through discounted Beauline hooks.
With the Ocean Rangers initiative, we hope to solve two big issues.
By reducing the expense of hooks, to a fisherman, the financial burden of releasing a hooked shark is reduced.
By releasing sharks, we ensure sustainable populations, which service targeted fish species like tuna.
Believe it or not, science has proven that healthy shark stocks result in healthy fish stocks.
To become a member of the initiative, and thus receive substantial discount on premium grade tuna surface longline hooks from Beauline, fishermen are required to adhere to a protocol, whereby they agree to sustain shark populations, by cutting them free. Fishermen who join the project will sign a legal document agreeing to the terms, and then this will be enforced and monitored closely by sustainable oceans society.
Through the subsidy arrangement, not only will this expense be reduced, but the Ocean Rangers platform will enable a voice for those fishermen who are proud of their efforts to maintain a healthy marine ecosystem.
In return for adhering to the following guidelines, benefits to fishermen arise.
The guidelines
Release sharks hooked, at the boat, while in the water, by cutting the trace at the hook.
Send 1 video/photo (simply from a phone) per month, either cutting away a shark, talking about the hook subsidy arrangement and benefits, communicating your passion as a NZ fisherman for healthy oceans, and/or discussing your encounters with sharks and understanding of how they are not your target species and it is now more affordable to release them.
The end goal of this arrangement is to subsidise fishermen in their trade, where efforts are being made on the frontline (by you) to reduce the impact on bycatch species. We are starting with hooks, but endeavour, through our relationship with Beauline, to help subsidise further gear that reduces our impact on the marine environment and bycatch species.
The rewards
Subsidised fishing equipment (through Beauline); at this stage on premium tuna SLL hooks.
Obtain a voice and credible clause to claim that you do your bit to ensure healthy shark populations and thus healthy fisheries.
It’s time we work with the fishing industry by rewarding sustainable practices, and in turn, save our oceans.
Why sharks are important:
Sharks are apex predators, which help to keep a balance in the ocean, this balance has been created over millions of years of evolution. Sharks are under threat world wide with an estimated 70-90 million sharks killed through overfishing, bycatch and increasing in the shark fin industry. This problem isn’t just limited to other countries but is also occurring here in New Zealand. Globally shark populations are in decline and this needs to change if we want our oceans to remain healthy. Sharks need our help to protect them as well as the fisheries and ocean ecosystems which they keep in balance.
Sharks have a very low breeding rate and are slow to mature which further compounds the problem of shark fining and overfishing. The highly migratory nature of sharks compounds the issue as shark species may be protected in some waters, yet fished in other waters. To help protect sharks and reduce the decline of shark species we need to promote awareness of the issues and to understand the biology and behaviour of sharks better, to allow for the implementation of new conservation measures. Without an understanding of shark biology and behaviour then shark populations around the world are likely to become more threatened, endangered or even extinct if the current trends in bycatch, fining and overfishing are not stopped or reduced.
At S.O.S we support research into shark species, their behaviour, ecology and role in New Zealand’s marine ecosystem. This information can be used to help improve protection levels of sharks, and reduce there decline in our waters.
S.O.S has supported shark research in New Zealand for a number of years now, predominantly through shark researcher Riley Elliott, who is currently finishing his PhD on Blue sharks. His work involved satellite tagging them to show where in the world they migrate, live, breed and have ecological impact. This project was fundamental in supplying scientific leverage to what became a shark fin ban in 2014.
If you require more information about the Ocean Rangers project send us an email at sustainableoceansociety@gmail.com.