Action Plan for Sea Turtle Mitigation.

This Action Plan for Sea Turtle Mitigation is a nationwide sectoral document developed to support the Regional Action Plan for Sea Turtle Mitigation of 2008, implemented by the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), with the aim of reducing the impacts of fishing for highly migratory fish species by fishing vessels operating in the Cook Islands offshore tuna fishery. It establishes that it is necessary to improve knowledge of fishing practices and interactions over time, also instituting best practice mitigation methods for implementation. An outline of the Observer Guide is appended as Attachment 1.
The regionally adopted Program follows three strategies for turtle bycatch mitigation as follows (i) undertake collection and monitoring of fishery data to improve understanding of the nature, scope and scale of sea turtle/ tuna fishery interactions in order to develop appropriate responses; (ii) conduct research and investigations to obtain further information and test possible mitigation measures; and (iii) introduce mitigation measures to either encourage or require that fishers take steps to reduce (a) turtle/fishery interactions and (b) mortality rates resulting from such interactions.
Main consequent Cook Islands' actions to support those strategies, as regards monitoring and information gathering, are (i) provide data and advice to develop specialized competency-based training modules and observer debriefing procedures; (ii) participate in regional sea turtle mitigation-related training of national observers and conduct national mitigation training courses; (iii) purchase and provide necessary equipment for observers; (iv) conduct national studies to extract information from historical and recent observer reports; (v) improve long-line vessel recording interactions with turtles and other species of concern (sea birds, sharks); (vi) obtain and use informal information and data from fishing vessel skippers and crew; and (vii) encourage development and trial of innovative sea turtle mitigation equipment and technology.
While, proposed mitigation measures in order to make fisheries more sustainable, are (i) incorporate requirements for sea turtle by-catch mitigation in foreign and domestic license arrangements; (ii) develop ongoing funding mechanisms (government funds, grants, fisher levies, etc.) to deliver sea turtle by-catch mitigation awareness and training programs to fishers; (iii) licensing and access agreements to require conduct of protected species workshops/sea turtle by-catch mitigation awareness and training programs; and (iv) encourage voluntary participation in turtle by-catch mitigation activities by involving fishers in research activities and ensuring that research results are fed back to them.