The TIndale Marine Research Charitable Trust
Globally the public has always been a great source of information. Scientists established early that seafarers, Fishermen and fishing records were invaluable to helping scientific institutions worldwide in their research, finding new species, suppling specimens and reporting observations.
The members of the trust feel including the public in marine research projects collating and sharing academic and citizen science findings while promoting sustainable initiatives will benefit all of New Zealand’s inhabitants. This site hopes to help bridge that gap.
Interest in the health of our fishery has increased in recent years. Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust members have realised that there is still a lot of gaps in the science out there; & that there is a need for a well-managed cooperative tagging program to collect much needed data. This idea has been reinforced by the large number of people that have contacted the trust about the tagging program.
Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust has initiated a New Zealand wide inshore tagging program that is citizen science based along with the support of the scientific fraternity, the program is to benefit, to include & encourage all New Zealanders to become involved in fisheries citizen science.
The members of the Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust have been carrying out field research for over 20 years now & during that time have tagged thousands of fish. They have the experience; know how, equipment & knowledge to manage this project. The Trust has already been approached by a large amount of scientists, research institutions & post graduate students to tag fish for their individual studies.
Who's involved with the Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust
Scott & Sue Tindale (founding director)
Scott & Sue Tindale (founding directors)
Both Scott & Sue have been managing directors of multiple companies & organisations for over 40 years. Scott has a background in management, estimating/ costing, contracts, sales, designing, building, manufacturing & exports. Sue has a background in contract law, accounts, sales, stock control, manufacturing & exports. Most of their spare time has been dedicated to the great outdoors and traveling the world.
Scott stems from several generations of seafarers and boat builders with his grandparents avid big game fishers in the early 1940’s in the far north and Bay of Plenty.
After spending a lifetime growing up around the sea, both above & below the water, developing their angling skills & learning firsthand about the marine environment it became easier to contribute valuable data & knowledge to scientists, fellow anglers & fisheries managers on marine issues.
Scott & Sue, internationally renowned anglers, together have ranked in the IGFA world top ten 38 times. By October 2016 they had accumulated around 700 hundred New Zealand sportfishing records, & a total of 252 IGFA World angling records in fly, line class, all tackle and all tackle release.. Almost half their catches were released live & most of the balance donated to science. This has greatly influenced anglers worldwide in sustainable sportfishing practices. In June 2012 Scott, already a life member, was appointed as a member of the International Committee of representatives for the INTERNATIONAL GAME FISH ASSOCIATION (IGFA) promoting ethical angling through science & education worldwide and is currently on the conservation and research board of the IGFA Oceania regional council
In 2014 Scott & Sue reached the pinnacle of their fishing careers by receiving the most prestigious international angling awards, the International Game Fish Associations Lifetime Achievement Awards. Scott & Sue are highly regarded international anglers that have contributed to hundreds of marine research projects including collecting specimens and DNA sampling, satellite tagging pelagic species including Great white sharks, Mako sharks, smooth hammerhead sharks, oceanic manta rays and school sharks, promoting seabird catch mitigation, photographing & documenting marine life, & contributing or co-authoring scientific papers. They have written many articles, guided international photographers, scientists, documentary producers & guests as well as starred in numerous television shows. Scott speaks regularly at fishing clubs, schools & events around the country on marine related subjects.
Scott is a master scuba diver & has achieved many diving qualifications over the last 50 years. Sue earned her qualification in 1987. Logging up thousands of dives both here in New Zealand & overseas. This has given them a thorough insight into the underwater marine ecosystem. Much of their photos & video footage is breathtaking & rare.
Scott & Sue have been involved in charity work since 1990 & were formally volunteers cataloguing marine collections at the Auckland Museum fish lab.
The Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust was formed to share some of the insights & behind the scenes science on our marine species, ecosystems & marine environment that we have been involved in and give opportunities for like minded individuals to get involved in marine research.
Rex Harrison (director)
From a background in construction, contract & project management. For over 15 years is a well respected New Zealand coast guard volunteer and SRL skipper, a regional instructor with a national certificate in adult education & Training.
An experienced big game fisherman and recreational angler with thousands of hours on the sea recording catches and observations off our coastal waters. A current IGFA World record holder, has been involved in Tag & Release fishing since the mid 90’s. Now residing in the bay of plenty he is never far from the action.
Clinton Duffy (director)
Clinton has been the Curator of Marine Biology at Auckland Museum since February 2024. Prior to that he worked as a technical advisor, marine scientist, and marine and freshwater technical support officer for the Department of Conservation (DOC), starting in the Nelson office in July 1989. He has a broad knowledge of New Zealand’s marine flora and fauna and can identify most commonly encountered coastal species. His areas of expertise include the classification and biology of chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, rays and chimaeras), marine ecology and marine protected areas. He has authored more than 100 scientific publications and reports, including several chapters on sharks and rays in The Fishes of New Zealand (Te Papa Press). He has chaired the last two New Zealand chondrichthyan threat assessments, was a member of the Technical Advisory Group for the NPOA-Sharks and is a current member of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (Australia and Oceania). His research interests include the biology and regional population connectivity of great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the SW Pacific; the taxonomy of New Zealand sharks and rays, particularly spiny dogfishes (Squalus spp.) and smoothhounds (Mustelus spp.); the biology of manta and devil rays in New Zealand waters, and the shark and ray fauna of Norfolk Island. He has participated in four research expeditions to the Kermadec Islands, two expeditions to Tuvalu, and the Nouméa-Suva leg of Auckland Museum’s 2017 SW Pacific Expedition. He is a past member of the Hawke’s Bay and Waikato Sport Fishing Clubs, and still enjoys spearfishing and SCUBA diving (SSI Dive Master). Clinton began spearfishing when he was 12 and qualified as a CMAS Basic Diver with the Wairarapa Underwater Club in 1979.
ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Clinton_Duffy
Join the cause and Donate today
As we are a Charitable Trust, your donations are 100% tax deductable.
A donation receipt will be provided for tax purposes