Hello friends of the seabirds!
I am back from field work to tell you about another adventure from Projeto Albatroz, this time on board the Gera IX vessel from port Itajaí, Brazil. Our journey begins at the Jorge Seif Fishing Company of Itajaí, from where we hauled anchor with fishing master Juninho (Ju-nee-nyo) and steamed south towards the Rio Grande coast, in search of large shoals of swordfish, sharks and tuna fish.
Image: The Gera IX of Jorge Seif Fishing Company, port Itajaí.
Our main objectives on board the Gera IX were to encourage the use of a tori line and to experiment with weights placed closer to the hook (two metres instead of the normal five metres). Some studies demonstrate that weights placed at a distance of two meters from the hook increases the sink rate of the fishing gear, thereby taking the baited hooks out of reach of the seabirds faster.
Image: Fishing crew members build the new fishing lines to hold weights at two metres, Port Itajaí.
In addition to improving the mitigation measures on board the Gera IX, I took time to explain a little more about the magnificent birds they were helping to protect. Environmental education on board makes it clear to the crew the importance of developing a responsible fishing method, which does not affect the fish catch but eliminates the capture of seabirds. A win-win situation!
During the days that I was on board, I was accompanied by White-chinned petrels, Spectacled petrels, Greater shearwaters, Atlantic petrels, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, Black-browed albatross and Wilson's storm petrels. Thanks to the mitigation measures and a bit of luck, not a single bird was caught this trip, demonstrating the efficiency of a suite of best-practice mitigation measures.
Image: Seabirds attending the vessel during the sea trip off Rio Grande, Brazil.
As the trip came to an end we headed for the port at Rio Grande after nineteen days at sea having sampled 12,850 hooks that go toward our experimental work to protect seabirds.
Albatross Task Force forever!!