Fishing Tales From Townsville; Fishy Way to Make a Living
Back in Wellington on holiday Olivier Bittar tells of his work collecting catch data on fishing vessels in Australia.
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GUTTING sharks for scientific research is all in a day’s work for Wellingtonian, Olivier Bittar, who is an observer coordinator for Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.
He is one of thousands of New Zealanders who have crossed the ditch to work in Australia, but few probably end up collecting and analysing catch data on fishing vessels as part of research that will be used, among other things, to assist with decisions on fisheries management.
Fishing stories aside, he has had some unexpected catches to contend with.
“I was out on a fishing vessel off the coast north of Townsville,” Mr Bittar recalls. “That morning the fisherman set a net about 20 metres off shore in around three metres of water. There were little kids playing on the beach not too far away. As we were pulling it in we noticed there was a big sag in the net, quite a few floats were under the water, and we thought it could have snagged on a rock.”
They found the sag was a 4.5-metre great hammerhead shark.
“Unfortunately it was dead when we got to it and the aim was certainly not to catch a shark that big. Sharks of that size don’t tend to get caught because the mesh size of the net is too small but larger hammerheads can get tangled up quite easily due to the shape of the ‘hammer’.
“We dragged it up on the beach and I noticed its belly was very swollen. I usually cut all the sharks open to see how mature they are and to take samples. This one had 40 pups in it. Its stomach was empty too so maybe it was looking for food. People think that because they don’t see them the sharks aren’t there but in fact they usually are. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to attack people.”
He says sharks make up a large part of some of the fishermen’s catch and are consequently a large part of their income, the meat being used widely in the fish-and- chip business. But fishermen generally do not want large sharks. Once past about two- metres- long the concentration of mercury in the flesh is apparently too great for it to be marketed. The fins, however are still valuable to Asian markets for shark fin soup and medicinal remedies.
The research team Mr Bittar is part of is currently concentrating on gill net fisheries, the inshore species, and they collect data on the age, size and maturity of different fish. He also trains other students and workers who come on board. The data gives them an idea of catch per unit effort, species composition, size and age frequency distributions and other valuable information. They also collect biological samples, for example taking out the otoliths from bony fish. Otoliths are bones in fish’s ears that help them keep their balance and orientation while moving through the water. The ear bones form annual growth rings, like rings in a tree, enabling scientists to tell the age of the fish.
The same can also be said for shark vertebrae.
“If you match age up with the level of maturity of the fish and do that across size and age ranges you can get a good idea of the relationship between the age, the growth rate and the maturity of a species,” Mr Bittar says.
“The information could go towards making important fisheries’ management decisions so they can determine at what size and age to make the maximum or minimum legal size species can be fished at. That way fish have a chance to reproduce before they are harvested and you are more likely to have a sustainable fishery instead of over fishing all the individuals that haven’t yet reproduced.”
Finding work in the field of marine biology was difficult at first. As part of his ongoing OE, Mr Bittar did an honours degree at the University of Queensland following a BSc at Victoria University. His research for the BSc (Hons) was part of a larger project studying management of recreational line fisheries in Queensland. His degree finished, he looked for work in the area of fisheries science/management.
“It was difficult to find work straight away, as is so often the case straight after graduating in sciences, and competition is strong in marine biology. I worked in a government call centre for a while, then with a marine tourism company taking guided snorkelling tours on the Great Barrier Reef.”
Networking with people he had presented his research to during his studies worked out for him and he landed his current role, which he has held for nine months.
“I am learning so much in this job,” he says. “The practical experience makes four years of study much more relevant, although the academic work taught me valuable research, analytical and mathematical skills.”
The role involves a lot of travelling, by car and boat, so far over 50 days at sea, and working in with fishermen who he says can be quite an eccentric, colourful, bunch of characters, full of stories, and also apprehensive at times about what the research may mean for their livelihood.
“I talk on the phone and set up face-to- face meetings with the fishermen. They understand I’m not there to make their lives harder or better I’m just recording what’s there. We try to be as transparent as possible. The data sheets are what count. A lot of the industry understands that management decisions based on good science are likely to be sounder.”
On board can be a bit of a juggling act getting the data he needs to record and staying out of the fishermen’s way so they can do their job.
“It’s their boat and you’ve got to be tactful, but the project’s been more successful than my boss and I anticipated. We’ve done many more observer surveys than we thought although there’s still plenty more to come.”
Working along the Queensland coast near the Great Barrier Reef has definite recreational advantages for a guy whose diving experiences in The Aldermen Islands, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, inspired him to study marine biology.
“The scenery is great. Our range stretches right up and down the Queensland coastline so we are talking a length of 2000-odd km. That covers the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area. The type of coastline you see is absolutely beautiful. There are a lot of areas where rainforest backs off the beaches and the wildlife is diverse. You see amazing sea birds such as sea eagles and also turtles, dugongs, dolphins and whales, and of course lots of different fish and sharks.”
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the hot spots for divers and he has done a fair bit of diving there. A highlight was a five- day trip to the outer edge of the reef, including the Yongala shipwreck, one of the top dive spots in the world.
“It was in winter and while we were out on the reef there were a lot of whales migrating up from Antarctic waters. We had minke whales swimming around the boat on many occasions and the chance to get in the water with them, as close as five metres away, and take photos. You hear stories of people swimming with whales but actually doing it is a breathtaking experience.”
His plans for the future are likely to include a PhD in the area of fisheries management.
“To get anywhere you need to do further research, and the practical work has been invaluable. There are also opportunities to expand into different branches such as environmental risk management or other fisheries related work.”
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FACT FILE
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Name: Olivier Bittar
Job: Observer coordinator
Employer: Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre, James Cook University Townsville, Australia
Attributes: Interest in marine life; research, analytical, mathematical skills; excellent communication and ability to relate to a wide range of people; attention to detail.
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