PMM2020-08 Novel technologies to mitigate the risk of dolphin capture in inshore trawl fisheries

Details

Tender Closed
RFx ID :	24184729
Tender Name :	PMM2020-08 Novel technologies to mitigate the risk of dolphin capture in inshore trawl fisheries
Reference # :	O - PMM2020-08
Open Date :	Friday, 9 April 2021 9:30 AM (Pacific/Auckland UTC+12:00)
Close Date  :	Friday, 21 May 2021 2:00 PM (Pacific/Auckland UTC+12:00)
Tender Type :	Request for Proposals (RFP)
Tender Coverage :	Sole Agency  [?]
Categories :	70000000 - Farming and Fishing and Forestry and Wildlife Contracting Services
Regions:	New Zealand
Exemption Reason :	None
Required Pre-qualifications :	None
Contact :	Amy McNabb amy.mcnabb@mpi.govt.nz
Alternate Physical Delivery Address  :
Alternate Physical Fax Number  :
Agency Address :

The fisheries risk assessment used to inform the update of the Hector’s and Mauī dolphin Threat Management Plan (TMP) estimated that the risk to dolphins from trawl fisheries was low compared with set net fisheries (Roberts et al. 2019). However in some locations in the South Island relatively high spatial overlap between dolphins and trawl fishing effort meant that trawl risk was not negligible, and in Mauī habitat there is a desire to ensure that residual risk effectively zero.
There is a need to better understand the way in which Hector’s dolphins interact with trawl vessels and fishing gear, to inform trawl risk mitigation options. Currently there are trawl gear restrictions in place in some high-dolphin-density areas requiring that nets have a headline height less than 1 m, on the assumption that low-headline-height nets have a lower probability of capturing a dolphin. This assumption is reasonable but the magnitude of any such effect on dolphin catchability has not been demonstrated empirically. Other mitigation options may also prove useful, for example the use of real time proximity alarms, or acoustic deterrents to prevent dolphins from approaching or entering the net, but the effective design of any such options first requires that we understand how dolphins interact with the fishing gear, potentially leading to capture.

This tender has been awarded.

• JASCO Applied Sciences - Unit 1, 14, Hook St, Capalaba, Capalaba, QLD, 4157, AUSTRALIA

Award Date: Tuesday, 27 July 2021 (Pacific/Auckland UTC+12:00)
Date RFx was completed/updated: Monday, 20 September 2021 7:18 AM (Pacific/Auckland UTC+12:00)