Bird scaring lines or Tori lines are a favourite seabird-safe practice for many captains because they are easy to use in daily fishing operations.

But not many fishing vessels use them. So why? A simple reason - they can’t get any at the local ports.

This sparked an idea with Birdlife International back in 2017. There was a need to help vessels get quality bird scaring lines, so they decided to make bird-scaring lines at the Port of Suva – an important hub for hundreds of tuna longline fishing vessels.

The project helps the local community

Making bird scaring lines. View larger image (JPG, 268K)
Image: © Birdlife International

Birdlife international formed a women’s group and brought an expert from the New Zealand Fisheries department to teach them how to make the approved New Zealand bird scaring lines design.

Women from a Methodist church from Makoi, Nasinu, a suburb out of Suva, were taught the design and how the bird scaring lines can help fishers avoid accidentally catching seabirds.

The women welcomed this opportunity to generate extra income for their families and to be part of a valuable initiative to help fishers and seabirds. 

The project was especially helpful during the pandemic as 62-year-old Vasemaca Vuniwaqa explained: “I want to thank Birdlife and the donors for thinking of widows like us. It is difficult to find a steady work anywhere due to the current pandemic. The money that I get from making bird scaring lines had greatly improved our livelihoods, it means putting food on the table. My prayers answered and money that we have been receiving helped put a little extra on our plate”.

So far, the women have completed 62 bird scaring lines, all have been given to vessels, and the work continues. Future grants will help expand programme, increase the availability of these bird scaring lines to the tuna longline vessels and continue to fund the women's excellent work.

For more information about the Fiji project, contact Stephanie Borrelle: Stephanie.Borrelle@birdlife.org