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A Leigh fisherman was so distressed that so many endangered seabirds ended up getting killed after swallowing baited hooks, he invented a device to stop the problem – something that may well transform commercial fishing operations around the world.
Dave Kellian has worked in a shed on his device on and off for 20 years. It is now undergoing major sea trials to establish its effectiveness.
Seabirds typically follow longline fishing vessels in search of an easy meal and some, typically petrels, will dive to snaffle the bait from baited hooks. As they bring the bait to the surface, it is often wrestled from them by other birds, such as albatrosses, who end up with the hooks in their mouths.
Dave found that if he could get the bait 10 metres below the surface immediately it left the boat, then even birds expert at diving for food were dissuaded from attempting to steal the bait, and putting their own and other birds’ lives at risk.
Despite having no formal qualifications in engineering, Dave invented a hydraulically-controlled capsule that bobs up and down like the needle on a sewing machine, taking and releasing baited hooks to a suitable depth.
For record keeping purposes, the device can record the number of baited hooks and the depth at which they have been set.
Dave says as a fisherman he’s had to acquire a multitude of practical skills, which helped him to develop his machine.
“I have a lot of these skills in spades, even if I don’t have a piece of paper to say so,” he says.
He adds that fishing operations can’t continue to put endangered birds at risk, noting that some species could be extinct within 20 years. He says this is especially true in New Zealand – “the seabird capital of the world” – where many birds from around the globe come to nest.
Currently, a trial funded by the New Zealand government and the local fishing industry is testing the device on a chartered vessel in New Zealand waters. The first phase of the trial will continue until February and will look at health and safety aspects of using the device and its mechanical reliability. If the first phase is successful, a second phase will examine its operational effectiveness.
Dave’s invention and his commitment to safeguarding seabirds around the world over many years earned him this year’s Seabird Smart Award from the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust, which comprises government and industry representatives.
Dave received his award from Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage at a reception at Te Papa Museum in Wellington last month.
