Trawl crew up-skill for the environment

Funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, SETFIA, in partnership with Fishwell Consulting and the South East Australian Maritime Education Centre has run a nationally accredited training course called Improved Environmental Work Practices. The courses were run in early 2011.  A steering committee including a representative from the Australian Marine Conservation Society set the curriculum. The assessed course society’s expectations of the industry, stock assessments, reducing marine pollution, stopping the spread of foreign aquatic organisms, improving reporting, mitigating interactions with threatened, endangered and protected species , identifying upper-slope dogfish, closures and stock rebuilding strategies. Graduate Skipper Ben Maas from the trawl vessel Celtic Rose in Portland said, “I think the course was great. Skippers need to become more involved as the industry evolves, we are the people that actually catch the fish”.