6 March 2007

Southern Cross Catholic School in Townsville will receive a visit from Reef HQ’s Lucky T Turtle tomorrow as part of Seaweek 2007 celebrations.

This year’s theme for Seaweek is Marine Bycatch Matters and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Megan Sperring will talk to the students about the issue of bycatch in the Marine Park.

“In recent years, bycatch has become one of the most significant issues affecting fisheries management, both nationally and globally,” she said.

Bycatch, which is the part of the fishing catch that is incidental to the target species, can occur in commercial and recreational fisheries.

“The bycatch of marine mammals, seabirds, reptiles and some sharks in fisheries is of particular concern because of declining numbers. Even though these species may seldom be caught in most fisheries, some are considered vulnerable to local and even global extinction.   

“Australian fishers, researchers and governments are working together to find ways to reduce bycatch by introducing new technologies and innovation, including changes to fishing gear and practices.

“The Turtle Exclusion Device is an example of a device that has dramatically reduced turtle bycatch in tropical prawn trawl fisheries.

“Its design provides something similar to an escape hatch in a trawl net.”

As a Reef Guardian School, Southern Cross Catholic School have made a commitment to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef and help keep it sustainable for the future.

As part of its Seaweek celebrations, the Education Team at Reef HQ Aquarium also ran two free specifically developed education sessions and a free reef videoconference to schools focussing on marine bycatch.

Seaweek 2007 runs from 4 - 10 March 2007 and is a joint project of the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Marine Education Society of Australasia.