Simple yet effective: CCSBT infographics aim to help stop seabird bycatch in fisheries

One of the pages from the set of seabird bycatch mitigation infographics released by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)

A set of educational seabird bycatch mitigation infographics aiming to reduce the incidence of seabird bycatch in Southern Bluefin Tuna fisheries has been released by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT).

The infographics were produced as part of a project on enhancing education on, and implementation of, Ecologically Related Species seabird measures within CCSBT Fisheries (Seabird Project). The project is funded by the FAO-GEF Project “Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)”.

Ross Wanless is the Seabird Project Manager for CCSBT and was heavily involved in the creation of the infographics. Ross explained the Seabird Project wanted the infographics to use maximum imagery with minimal text to convey the chosen mitigation measures. 

“The CCSBT Seabird Project has a significant focus on supporting fishers to use mitigation correctly. The challenge is to communicate key concepts to the people who are responsible for using or not using them, i.e. the crew while they're onboard. So CCSBT decided to create near-text-free infographics that can convey keep concepts at-a-glance. They're designed to be placed on a wall somewhere visible that crew can review with ease,” said Ross.

Left to right: the night setting and tori pole pages of the infographics

Choosing which measures to highlight in the infographics was also difficult Ross said, and involved the consideration of several criteria, including: 

1. most challenging to understand why/how
2. most critical to good performance of the measure
3. can be explained with static, visual, text-free communication

Sets of the infographics have been printed and laminated by the CCSBT for distribution at skipper training workshops run by the project for Members. The infographics are also available to download at the CCSBT website, as well as partner organisations, the FAO and ACAP. 

The infographics can be found at the ACAP website under “Resources > Bycatch Mitigation” at the following link, https://www.acap.aq/resources/bycatch-mitigation/mitigation-infographics.

6 May 2024