A ‘seabird smart' commercial fisherman who uses techniques to minimise bird capture has won the 2014 Holdaway Award for leadership in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Southern Cross skipper Adam Clow, a snapper long-liner which fishes out of Whitianga for OPC Aotearoa Fisheries, received his award during yesterday's Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Seminar.

Adam Clow and black petrel. Photo: Supplied/Bruce Foster

The techniques he uses to avoid catching seabird, particularly black petrels, include careful bait handling, tori lines to scare birds, weights for quick sinking, reduced deck lighting, and night setting.

But ultimately seabird smart fishing is an attitude of being alert to bird behaviour and prepared to move on if they are too aggressive, says Adam.

'The future of fishing is my future, and I am committed to doing the best I can.”

Initiated last year, the Holdaway Award recognises the legacy of Jim Holdaway who championed the creation of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

It is awarded to people who share Jim's qualities of courage, service and leadership, and who are able to grow and utilise the mana of the award to further their influence in important areas.

Adam was presented the award by Jim's wife Ann Holdaway which included a framed certificate and a tokotoko made from kauri by local carver Sunnah Thompson.

Hauraki Gulf Forum chair John Tregidga says recent research shows black petrels were extremely vulnerable to capture in long-line fisheries and urgent changes were needed to protect them.

'Adam has embraced this challenge on his long-line boat Southern Cross and become an ambassador for seabirds among his peers.”

Adam has visited the main breeding colony on Great Barrier's Mt Hirakimata twice to help scientist Elizabeth Bell and others monitor breeding success, while also encouraging his crew and fellow fishermen to do the same.

In 2012 he was recognised in Southern Seabird Solutions Trust's Seabird Smart Awards and is the face of their ‘Fishers and Black Petrels' DVD. Around 180 fishermen have also attended Seabird Smart workshops which they run.

On October 30, to mark the return of black petrels to the Gulf to breed fishing companies, conservation groups and government agencies will visit Leigh to sign a pledge of cooperation to protect the bird.

'It's important to recognise people doing real work around the Gulf – our farmers, fishers and urban developers,” says John.

'The decisions they make about how they do business has a huge bearing on the health of the environment.”

Yesterday's seminar saw about 200 business leaders, scientists and managers consider the Forum's latest State of our Gulf report and its implications.

BLACK PETRELS

Black petrels breed only on Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands and there are currently around 1500 pairs.

But long term studies suggest a chick survival rate to breeding age of around 59 percent is too low to ensure the population's survival.

The birds' foraging area while breeding overlaps with snapper and bluenose long-line fisheries, and estimates of accidental capture put black petrels at the top of seabird species at risk from commercial fishing.

Adam Clow with certificate and tokotoko commissioned for the 2014 Holdaway Award. Photo: Supplied