The life of an ATF instructor is filled with adventure. Our job is to collect seabird abundance and interaction data at sea. It involves working with fishermen to find and implement solutions to seabird bycatch. It comes with a lot of amazing opportunities; we wake up at sea to the wonderful sound of birds, surrounded by the beautiful blue waters of the ocean and a peaceful atmosphere which comes with the sea-breeze.
The main aspect of our work is to spend time at sea on a variety of trawl and longline vessels to build working relationships with fisherman, demonstrating in person the best practice use measures that mitigate the mortality of endangered seabirds. The data we collect on the efficiency of these measures and the reduction of seabird interactions once these are deployed is critical to comparing changes in the impact on seabird populations over the years.
Our work on board fishing vessels is used by other scientist in various fields of research and at several levels of sustainable fisheries management. Each sea trip is an opportunity to share knowledge and receive feedback from industry about how the mitigation measures are being incorporated into the daily fishing routine.
Together we are working to save the albatross.