Ben Sullivan | Fishtek Marine

Conservation Careers Podcast

On average every five minutes an albatross dies accidentally behind a fishing boat. Caught on a hook set for a fish, entangled in a net or striking a tensioned wire. During this episode a number of albatrosses will die needlessly.

Dr Ben Sullivan has dedicated his career to tackling similar marine conservation issues. Starting with a PhD counting koala poo in the Australian Outback, Ben developed a passion for sea birds whilst working in the mighty southern oceans around Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. He went on to manage the hugely successful BirdLife marine programme and helped to establish the famous Albatross Taskforce.

He now works in the enterprise sector for Fishtek Marine helping to innovate new products to tackle old conservation problems. One of which the Hookpod looks set to save countless accidental deaths of albatrosses and other seabirds.

Ben’s a force of nature; he’s full of passion, dedication and ability and in this episode we talk about his career to date and the challenges and opportunities of enterprise in conservation. We also hear his career advice and explore what it takes to set up a dynamic global team to successfully tackle an issue like seabird bycatch. If you’re interested in seabirds, marine conservation, innovation and more you’ll love this episode.