Tara Lyn skipper Jimmy Papas is a great supporter of AFMA’s Observer Program and regularly assists new observers aboard the fishing vessel.

AFMA’s Observer Program has a number of boats and operators who go above and beyond to assist us in the collection of good biological data.  One of these boats is the Tara Lyn which is based in San Remo in Victoria and skippered by Jimmy Papas.

Mr Papas has been particularly helpful in his support of the Observer Program, which places observers on commercial fishing boats to collect information which assists AFMA make management decisions. He welcomes observers on his boat and takes a strong interest in the collection of data.  His crew is equally helpful with assistance around the deck.  The Tara Lyn is great with new observers as Jim and his crew not only work well with AFMA observers, but also provide useful information regarding the fishery to assist with their future work in the program. 

AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay thanked Mr Papas for his support of the AFMA Observer Program. 

“Fishing operators like Jimmy Papas help AFMA a great deal and are an asset to the fishing industry,” Dr Findlay said.

Mr Papas has 30 years fishing experience, mostly in shark fisheries but also in both cray and trawl fisheries. He left the gillnet, hook and trap shark fishery for 12 years when quota was introduced but has been back fishing for the last two years.

During his 12 year absence Mr Papas undertook consulting work in Africa, the Middle East and India where he was involved in the design and building of trawlers and fish processing factories and he also fished for shark in South Africa and Somalia using longlines.

Mr Papas says that the observer program provides “priceless benefits” to the fishery. He believes that for years there has been a separation of industry and management, with the observer program the best way of bridging this gap.

He comments that industry greatly benefits from having “observers do the hard yards with the fishermen on boats,” and that the observers that have accompanied him to sea have been “extremely hard workers who are dedicated to their job.’  Mr Papas has also praised the apparent thoroughness of the observer selection process given the excellent quality of observers.

For more information please contact Mike Yates, Observer Program Manager on 02 6225 5332 or mike.yates@afma.gov.au.