CDU leading research team looking to mitigate commercial bycatch

Charles Darwin University is joining forces with industry experts to develop a strategy to mitigate threatened ray and shark species snared in commercial fishing nets.

Charles Darwin University is playing a key role in research that hopes to develop a strategy to mitigate threatened ray and shark species accidentally caught by commercial net fisherman in northern Australian waters.

The uni will be joining forces with fishing professionals, industry consultants, fisheries managers and researchers from Queensland and Western Australia to try to improve the sustainability of the industry.

A number of northern Australian fisheries use a system involving panels of mesh netting that are held vertically in the water and connected to either a vessel or the sea floor.

The system has proved to be an effective way to catch commercial fish but will also snare other species including the threatened sharks and rays.

Commercial fishing boats use an effective technique that also catches endangered species Picture: Supplied

Commercial fisherman use a mesh netting to catch fish. Picture: Supplied

CDU’s Research Institute for Environments and Livelihoods Dr Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons said that a change in method could be a benefit on multiple fronts.

“This project will not only benefit these remarkable creatures but also bolster the sustainability of the seafood industry,” he said.

“It holds the potential to drastically reduce the bycatch of numerous threatened species of sharks and rays that call our northern waters home, including sawfish, river sharks, and devil rays.”

Stingrays are often snared in the nets. Picture: Supplied

Scalloped Hammerhead sharks can be found in Northern Territory waters. Picture: Supplied

CDU, Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Rob Fish, C-AID Consultants, Atlantis Fisheries Consulting Group, Wild Barra Fisheries, and Wren Fishing Group have all invested in the project.

Wren Fishing Group will assist in the testing of mitigation devices that have already proven successful overseas, reducing bycatch of sharks and rays by up to 90 per cent in some cases.

Devils Rays are another species often caught in commercial fishing nets. Picture: Supplied (Sea Shepherd Australia)

WFG financial coordinator Tina Hutchison said the company wanted to lead the way in bringing sustainable fishing to the commercial industry.

“Wren Fishing is excited by the opportunity to participate in what promises to be groundbreaking research, the outcomes of which may be applicable to fisheries Australia-wide,” Ms Hutchinson said.

“It is research like this that further boosts Australian consumer confidence in their favourite seafood, knowing it has been sourced by world-leading professional fishing practices and methods.”

Wild Barra Fisheries chief executive Cameron Berryman said the involvement of the commercial fishing industry in the research showed its commitment to fishing sustainably.

“Partnerships and collaborations like this are invaluable to delivering the best environmental, social, and economic outcomes for Australia’s fisheries and communities,” he said.

The project is scheduled to run until June 2025.