The World Wildlife Foundation would like to share the Terms of Reference for a consultancy to draft a set of comprehensive guidelines on the safe handling and release of small cetaceans unintentionally caught in fishing gear, and found alive and viable for release. This consultancy is being hosted by WWF, however, the project will be conducted in collaboration with the IWC, FAO, CMS, IOTC, and the WCPFC, who have all confirmed a need for this type of resource and expressed interest in reviewing, and eventually adopting and disseminating the guidelines once they are produced.
It is worth noting that the ToR clearly state that ‘*While these guidelines should NOT be viewed as a solution to the problem of cetacean bycatch, as they will only help a small number of animals that are found live and already compromised, they can be viewed as first step toward engaging fisheries in the process of acknowledging entanglements, and collaborating on solutions to reduce their fishery’s impact on cetaceans. The ultimate goal is to collaborate to prevent bycatch and entanglement from occurring in the first place through effective mitigation measures*.’ The application deadline has been extended to March 1st, so the turn-around time on this is fairly tight. Applications are to be sent directly to Aimee Leslie (aimee.les...@wwfperu.org*)* and Leigh Henry ( leigh.he...@wwfus.org). WWF: Drafting of technical guidelines on safe handling and release of small cetaceans from fishing gearTerms of Reference *Time frame of contract:* March 2019- May 2019 *Reports to*: OOTN (Wildlife Bycatch) ACAI, WWF Cetacean Initiative (work will also be reviewed by external partners) Context: Entanglement in fishing gear presents the greatest known human-induced threat to small cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and small whales) around the globe. In 2008 estimated 300,000 cetaceans were unintentionally killed in fisheries each year, a number which is likely to have increased over the past 10 years. While the majority of entangled dolphins are found dead in nets, having asphyxiated when they were unable to surface to breathe, fishers routinely find animals in their nets that are still alive, and could have a good chance of survival if they are handled and released with care. Safe handling and release protocols have been proven to be effective for turtles, and a variety of guidelines have been developed to support fishers who find live turtles in their fishing gear (see for example these <http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i0725e/i0725e.pdf> produced by the FAO). Safe handling and release guidelines are also available for seabirds <http://www.issfguidebooks.org/longline-2-21/> and sharks <http://www.issfguidebooks.org/longline-2-26/>, although perhaps in less detail than those available for turtles. However, guidelines for the safe handling and release of small cetaceans seem to be almost completely lacking. The few examples that exist, such as those produced by ACCOBAMS <http://www.accobams.org/new_accobams/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/WEB-Cetaces-185x290.pdf> represent useful tools, but lack the level of detail required to ensure truly safe practices and enhance survival rates of released animals. WWF and IGO partners, such as the International Whaling Commission, the Convention on Migratory Species, the FAO, and various Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) have identified a need for the development of more detailed technical guidelines on the safe handling and release of small cetaceans entangled in fishing gear. While these guidelines should NOT be viewed as a solution to the problem of cetacean bycatch, as they will only help a small number of animals that are found live and already compromised, they can be viewed as first step toward engaging fisheries in the process of acknowledging entanglements, and collaborating on solutions to reduce their fishery’s impact on cetaceans. The ultimate goal is to collaborate to prevent bycatch and entanglement from occurring in the first place through effective mitigation measures. *Requirements of the guidelines:* The guidelines should: · Draw from and build on existing guidelines that will be provided by the contract holders; · Take into account any other guidelines that the contractor is able to source through online searchers or other sources; take into account the multiple guidelines that have been developed for dealing with live cetacean strandings, which include detailed information on handling and release from beaches; · Take into account relevant provisions in existing guidelines or recommendations relating to safety at sea for fishers · Include the following sections: o An introduction with basic information on small cetaceans and their biology and ecology (particularly those aspects of their ecology that put them at risk of entanglement), and the nature of their interactions with fisheries. o Benefits to the fishing industry in facilitating the safe release of cetaceans. o A detailed diagram showing small cetacean’s basic anatomy, labeling and highlighting those parts of their anatomy that are vulnerable and should be handled with extra care (e.g. the blowhole, eyes). o A detailed list (ideally illustrated) of equipment that fishers should carry on board to assist with the safe handling and release of cetaceans (could be separated into different lists for each of the fisheries/settings below), including, where relevant, equipment that is already carried on board that can be utilized to assist with these efforts and cost effective technologies that would be suitable for use in small scale fisheries and in developing country contexts. o Detailed instructions for safe handling and release from different fishing gears and in different settings, including, but not limited to: gillnets, long lines, purse seines, beach seines, decks of large industrial vessels, decks of small fishing skiffs. In the case of large industrial vessels, advice should include how to safely lower an animal back down into the water without causing further injury. In each case consideration should be given to how to avoid further damage to fishing gear wherever possible. o Ideally, these instructions should be illustrated and/or accompanied by hyperlinks to videos of good practice. While provision of illustrations or videos will not be expected under this contract, descriptions of the content of illustrations, or pasting in of examples from other sources/species would be helpful. o A template for a final section where organisations/users can provide user-specific information on who should be notified with reports of entanglements and how they were handled. *Resources and experts for consultation* In addition to building on existing published resources, the contractor will be expected to consult with a number of recognized experts who will be able to assist with the development of the guidelines. They should include, but are not limited to: · The International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator; Stranding Coordinator; and Bycatch Coordinator; · The CMS/ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS Secretariats; · Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). Milestones and deliverables *Milestone* *Deliverables* *Anticipated date* Completion of outline and mapping of resource documents Outline and resource list March 15, 2019 Completion of first draft for review draft April 15th, 2019 Integration of comments and feedback and preparation of final draft for testing in Peruvian fisheries and feedback from IWC Scientific Committee and expert panels on Bycatch, Strandings and large whale entanglement response Revised draft May 1st, 2019 Following the IWC Scientific Committee, the report will be revised with their input and feedback, and then shared with other stakeholders (FAO, CMS, RFMOs) for their feedback and input. A second phase of the project will include these more extensive revisions, commissioning of illustrations, formatting of the guidelines, and dissemination. There may be scope for the consultant to be involved in this second phase of the project. Consultant profile and competencies The following experience and competencies are essential for the role: · A background either in cetacean health and anatomy, or fisheries and bycatch. · Strong English writing skills. · Self-motivated and able to take initiative to find resources and expertise where required. Additional competencies that would be beneficial to the role include: · Ability to read and understand French and Spanish. · Illustration and/or graphic design skills. Budget A maximum of 5,000 USD is available for this phase of the project. Reporting and key contact · Technical key contact with Aimee Leslie · Reporting on deliverables to ACAI Bycatch: key contact is Aimee Leslie Instructions for submitting an application: Please send a letter expressing your interest and demonstrating your qualifications in relation to the Terms of Reference above. Your letter and application should include: · A brief expression of interest; · A summary of your most relevant qualifications; · A proposed budget and timeline, with a breakdown of the number of days expected to be spent on each stage of the project and the rate charged; · An up-to-date CV. · At least 2 examples of relevant work that you have completed in the past. Please send your application to Aimee Leslie (aimee.les...@wwfperu.org) and Leigh Henry (leigh.he...@wwfus.org) by or before March 1st. A candidate will be selected by March 11th.
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