New Zealand’s Southern Seabird Solutions to sign agreement with Peru

Press release by NZ Southern Seabird Solutions, 23 September 2005

The Embassy of Peru in New Zealand, is to host a signing ceremony for a new co-operation agreement with the New Zealand's Southern Seabird Solutions and the Instituto del Mar del Perú, IMARPE.

IMARPE is the Peruvian Institute of Fisheries Research. They are in charge of scientific research into living marine and inland water resources, ecological factors, oceanography and limnology, and aquatic environment quality. Its main activity is to lay the scientific groundwork for fishery resource management.

The agreement between the two organizations is for ongoing collaboration in promoting the adoption of fishing practices that avoid the mortality of seabirds (also known as bycatch mitigation). The Executive Director of IMARPE, Godofredo Cañote , a very prominent person in both the Peruvian government and the fishing industry, will sign on behalf of IMARPE.

Southern Seabird Solutions has been committed to facilitating ongoing collaboration between the New Zealand and other southern hemisphere countries to mitigate bycatch and undertake projects that facilitate the transfer of knowledge, technology and skills between fishers.

An announcement about the first Southern Seabird Solutions/Perú co-joint project will also be made at the ceremony. The signing ceremony will take place at the Peruvian Embassy in Wellington on Friday 7th October 2005.