I have returned finally, from what seemed like a lifetime at sea and on foreign soil.
Three trips were conducted on Eros, a hake longliner for Talhado Fisheries, with the help of very committed men on land and at sea. I've now completed seabird fatality data collection on board hake longline vessels for the east coast of South Africa until next year (during a different season).
The last month has been a great accomplishment for the Albatross Task Force!
On arriving in Port Elizabeth, from which 10 vessels operate, I was fortunate enough to meet with eight skippers and their right-hand men on their vessels to discuss the threats seabirds face as result of deep-water longline fishing in our waters.
I felt a general air of: 'why are you targeting us skippers, when we hardly catch any birds?'
This has quickly transformed into: 'it's great to work directly with researchers so that our at-sea knowledge is taken into consideration when making management decisions', and: 'oh, I suppose that if the individual accidental albatross death numbers are multiplied across the entire fleet, then this would cause a major decline'.
(I was incapable of describing it in fewer words.)
I have issued tori lines (bird-scaring devices) to each of these vessels and given on-board instruction to each of these vessels on how to deploy them!
So, when a relationship was established, it wasn't even necessary for me to go out on each and every vessel, with each and every skipper. In fact, all I had to do was contact skippers at sea and meet with them personally during and between trips, asking them how their tori lines were functioning.
Actually, within the first week, some skippers were constructing booms on their vessels so that their tori lines could achieve maximum aerial coverage while being towed. All I can say is that the network of communication was strong and committed.
In my time at sea, I was able to confirm that these vessels were indeed using their tori lines, and reported that they worked well!
One bird (white-chinned petrel) was caught during the three trips I conducted, which is low for the east coast, but not a true reflection for the whole year because seabird abundance is higher in winter (May to August). Further trips will have to be completed next year during the winter period.
On a personal front, the sea conditions were optimal, calm with fresh south-easters making their appearances very infrequently. The food was also optimal by the third trip, after I had realised that I had gained one too many kilos after the first two trips, from fried meals.
Thus, I requested certain luxuries (fresh fruit and veggies), and thankfully I could shower at least once during each week at sea.
The difference between working with fishermen here than, say (and I stand corrected), regions such as the Spanish Mediterranean, is the level of multi-ethnicity.
The ATF in South Africa is not dealing with only English-speaking fishermen, but in fact Angolan, Namibian, Portuguese, Afrikaans and English-speaking South African people, and these nationalities constitute the domestic fleets.
I have had to revive my Afrikaans, and still learn a little Portuguese and even Ovambo [a Namibian language]. Additionally, the cultural sensitivity of each is so variable. It's been a social challenge, but very exciting.