Last year we were contacted by the Conservation Engineering group for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center which had learned about Sago's take on minimizing whale depredation on toothfish fisheries. This led us to very interesting conversations, that also included the International Pacific Halibut Commission in Seattle.
There are many aspects differentiating the toothfish- and halibut operations in regards to methods, vessels, bycatch, fishing conditions etc. Sadly, one common denominator is the problem with whales stealing a large portion of the catch while hauling the longline.
We believe sharing knowlegde between industries are key to handeling whale depredation. Now we are looking forward to take part in an upcoming workshop to share from the toothfish industry and to see if our solutions can make a positive difference for the halibut fisheries.
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