Do you have a passion for marine conservation? Job opportunity with BirdLife

“Do you have a passion for marine conservation? Do you have strong knowledge of fisheries interactions with seabirds, marine mammals, sharks and turtles? We are looking for a new member of the BirdLife Marine Programme team, hosted by the RSPB, to examine the effectiveness of a leading fisheries sustainability certification scheme in assessing and tackling impacts on populations of these species.

You will carry out a review of non-target species bycatch (covering seabirds, turtles, marine mammals and sharks) in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process, particularly considering changes before and after the renewal of their fisheries standard in 2014. The review will examine the performance of case study fisheries against the bycatch-relevant 'performance indicators' of the MSC standard, and will investigate the effectiveness of any improvements fisheries have been required to make as part of their certification. You will explore the key factors that have driven successful and unsuccessful implementation of these improvements, and make recommendations based on your findings. The postholder will also have an important role in communicating the outputs of the review with key stakeholders.

The review will be guided by a Steering Group of relevant bycatch taxon experts from conservation NGOs and academic institutions, including key BirdLife staff and at least three external advisors.

This is an exciting opportunity to inform the development of a global seafood sustainability standard, to connect with marine conservation experts and to join a dynamic team that has worked to reduce seabird bycatch in fisheries for over a decade.”

Grey-headed Albatrosses are at risk to longlining, photograph by Kirk Zufelt

The closing date is 6 August 2017; read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 July 2017