Ghost Net ID Guide Acknowledgements GhostNets Australia (GNA) thanks all the indigenous rangers who have contributed to the ghost net program for the decade 2004-2014. The tens of thousands of net data and samples provided have contributed to the information in this guide which has built upon the original WWF Net Kit first published in 2002. All photographs used with permission. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this booklet may contain images of deceased persons despite our best intentions. Author: Riki Gunn, GhostNets Australia, ©2015 Design and Illustration by Picta Creative. References Information about the nets has been Jamal Fisherman bobo/purse seine Other information has been obtained from: obtained from fishers in Indonesia and Ali Fisherman bobo/purse seine Prof. Subhat Nurhakim (Jakarta) north Australia through surveys, face to face Hasan Fisherman bobo/purse seine Frederik H Noya (Eric) - Fisheries Gear Expert - Merauke meetings and workshops. Abbas Fisherman bobo/purse seine Jillian Hudgins and Martin Selfox - Maldives. Fishermen: Kadanan Fisherman bobo/purse seine WWF Net Kit Bill Passey NT Fish Trawl Umar Fisherman bobo/purse seine Northridge, S. P. 1991. Driftnet fisheries and their Biage NT Offshore Net and Line Rajab Fisherman bobo/purse seine impacts on nontarget species: a worldwide review. Chris Newman NT Inshore Set Net Mikael Gill net – Vessel: 2 GT- Mappi FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, No. 320, Bradley Bosel Qld Inshore Set Net Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Yohanes K Mappi gillnetter also helps Nations. Rome. Dave Wren Qld Offshore Net (shark) fisheries office with surveillance. Steve Colless Northern Prawn Fishery Mahyudin Merauke gillnetter and chair of Pedro Knight Northern Prawn Fishery local fisheries association and Michael O’Brien Northern Prawn fishery surveillance committee. Syuaib Shrimp trawl – Ambon Rokyat (Nicco) Asmat – gill netter Mochtar Waly Shrimp trawl – Ambon Florens Asmat – gill net Ibnu Purno Shrimp trawl – Ambon (vessel 20 - 30 GT) Musa Lamlon Purse seine – Tual Eddy Lee Manager of Chinese gillnet company based in Merauke – Ismail Purse seine – Tual (fleet of 12 boats < 30 GT) Muhammad Billahmar Fish Trawl Association Larung Merauke works for Eddy Lee. Alias Mini trawl – Aru Islands Kasiran Merauke gill net (26 GT), works Agus Mini trawl – Aru Islands for Eddy Lee. Darman Mini trawl – Aru Islands Ali Merauke gill netter (26 GT) Baba Mini trawl – Aru Islands Mr Ling Petesino – JV Company ‘Sino’ – Jupri Mini trawl – Aru Islands 23 boats / 285 GT / Risman Mini trawl – Aru Islands fish trawl net. Junas Mini trawl – Aru Islands Handoyo Works for PT Sino – former Baharudin Mini trawl – Aru Islands head of local fisheries office. Rahim Mini trawl – Aru Islands Ricky Merauke – gill netter (<30 GT) Niko Choiri Gillnet – Aru Islands Pitono Merauke – gillnetter/ Surya Dahlan Renyaan Gillnet – Aru Islands Maro Sakti K. Hadi S. Transboundary fisher William Skipper – fish trawl net from Petesino. Kaimasa Bobo/purse seine 2 Contents The purpose of this guide 4 What net is that? 13 GhostNets Australia 4 Meshes smaller than one finger 13 How and where to record data 5 Meshes as big as one finger 17 All About Nets 5 Meshes as big as two fingers 21 Meshes as big as three fingers 27 How to use this guide 6 Meshes as big as four fingers 31 How to look up a net 6 Meshes as big as a fist 37 Instructions for recording data 8 Meshes as big as a clasped fist 43 Glossary of terms 11 Meshes as big as an open hand 47 Larger meshed nets 51 Data collection forms 54 Twine guides 56 3 The purpose of this guide This guide has two purposes: GhostNets Australia (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Firstly it provides known information Research Organisation - Australia) and GhostNets Australia (GNA) was established ATSEA (Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem about the probable users and uses in 2004, to resource and train local Action Program - Indonesia) involved of the ghost nets washing up on north indigenous rangers across north Australia to interviewing fishers operating in the Arafura Australian shores. The secondary manage a growing ghost net issue. By 2013 Sea to the north of Australia. Outcomes of purpose is to provide simple rangers had removed over 13,000 ghost the research identified the prime causes for instructions about how and what data nets mostly from the Gulf of Carpentaria. fishing nets becoming lost, abandoned or needs to be recorded to aid GhostNets Analysis of the data recorded by rangers has discarded in this region. Australia in its efforts to reduce this enabled GNA to determine the abundance, The next step for GNA involves supporting significant flow of nets. Stopping the distribution (Figure 1), major impacts and fishers to make significant changes in their flow of nets is preferred to continually physical source of the problem. Further behaviour and fishing practices. GNA needs dealing with the ghost nets at the end research, in partnership with CSIRO to link the ghost nets found to the fisheries of their destructive journey. operating in the region; hence this Ghost Net ID Guide. This is important, allowing us to target efforts at the appropriate fishing industry as well as monitor the effectiveness of changes within those operations. For more information about the various projects that GNA has done in the past and is planning in the future visit: www.ghostnets.com.au. Figure 1: Concentrations of ghost nets that have been cleaned up by Indigenous rangers 2004- 2012. Red showing areas of most nets. Created with images from Google Maps. 4 How and where to record data All About Nets GhostNets Australia has set up an online The database is also able to upload data database where data can be entered directly collected electronically. GhostNets Australia For background information about www.ghostnets.com.au/resources/ has created a data sequence for the types of fishing; why fishers use the database/. There is also a copy of the data freeware CybertrackerTM. Both the sequence nets they do; what is important to them sheet at the rear of this guide that can be instructions and where and how to upload when selecting the material they use photocopied for ease of entry in the field. the software, can be found on our website. in their nets, and briefly, how nets are One data sheet should be used for every made, refer to the adjunct to this guide, The database has an open access policy individual net. All About Nets. This will help in the enabling rangers, scientists, government understanding of the relevance of each agencies, communities and organisations to bit of information required to identifying request data on ghost nets in Australia for the net use. educational and research purposes. 5 How to use this guide The guide has been divided into nine How to look up a net Within each section look for the appropriate sections governed by the mesh sizes twine within that section. The net codes Each section is marked by an icon depicting are arranged in increasing order starting of the ghost nets. This is in broad the number of fingers that comfortably fit with very thin twine and ending with double categories according to how many within the mesh. It also has a tab at the twines (two strands of twine together). Study fingers or hands can fit comfortably in side showing the size range of the meshes the twine construction, feel it and note any the opening of the mesh e.g. the (Figure 2). The size range accounts for the other distinguishing features to be able to 1 Finger section is for all nets with a variations in hand sizes. look up the appropriate ID. mesh size ranging between 25-41 mm. For detailed instructions on how to measure It is not a unique way of measuring and determine the various characteristics the mesh size for, prior to the creation that distinguish nets from each other see Note: If the net does not match any of machines, fishers used this method page 8. of the IDs then it is a new net sample. when making their nets. Please contact GhostNets Australia: [email protected] to find out where to send a sample of the <24mm <1 FINGER ghost net so it can be included in 25 – 41mm 1 FINGER new editions. 42 – 57mm 2 FINGER 58 – 75mm 3 FINGER 76 – 94mm 4 FINGER 95 – 124mm FIST 125 – 165mm CLASPED FIST 166 – 230mm OPEN HAND >230mm LARGER NETS+ Figure 2: Side bars and icons used for each section 6 Each ghost net ID is divided into 2 IDENTIFICATION CODE 3 COLOUR BAR four distinct parts (Figure 3): The ID codes are prefixed by a hash Below the image is a colour bar showing symbol (#). The codes indicate mesh size; all the sample colours found to date. No presence of knots; twine configuration; twine Colour, or Clear, is depicted as a blank box construction and a 3 digit number. with a ‘C’ inside it. 1 #2FKSB001 4 TEXT Within the text there is information to futher help identify the net, and what has been A net with mesh Number 1 learnt about the net to date. that fits 2 fingers of its kind. Twine is the thickness of the twine to the nearest 0.5mm. In most cases there is a range for the twine to fall within as many With Single Twine is 3 samples have been measured. Knots Twine Braided 2 # 2FKSB001 Description is the construction of the Twine: 1 – 2 mm twine: Whether it is Twisted (T), Braided (B), What the codes indicate Monofilament (M); Number of strands for the Desc: Braided hard plastic.