Fishery observers receive intensive training

Those responsible for managing Commonwealth fisheries for ecological sustainability have undergone training at AMC.
 
More than 30 Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) observers have taken part in two separate Fisheries Observer training courses, last December and this February.  AFMA is responsible for the sustainable management of Commonwealth fisheries on behalf of the Australian community.
 
AMC Search has been awarded a contract from AFMA for the delivery of the course, designed to provide skills to observer personnel who are deployed to observe and collect scientific data on Australian fishing vessels. The one week course was designed and delivered by Nick Rawlinson, James Haddy and David Maynard from the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability (NCMCRS).
 
"Fisheries Management lecturers from the Australian Maritime College have the expertise and skills to help train the officers who are required to work on commercial fishing vessels to observe, record and report on  their activities,'' National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability lecturer, Nick Rawlinson said.

Part of the role of AFMA observers is to collect accurate data to measure the possible impacts of commercial fishing activities on the marine environment. This includes recording any possible interactions between seabirds and certain fishing methods.

The extensive seabird collection of the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston provided a unique hands-on training opportunity for the observers to increase their skills of identifying the different species.
 
Images courtesy of David Maynard.