After the trip to Namibia in October where we learnt from interviewing skippers that seabird bycatch may be a problem, we decided to head back and continue what we had started. Now it was time to go to sea and see what really happens there.
I spent four weeks in the town of Luderitz in southern Namibia, and was welcomed by the only local longline company, Marco Fishing. They agreed to take me onboard their vessels and collect data at sea.
I was joined by Neville Uhongora, a Technical Assistant, who works on Ichaboe Island, monitoring the seabird colonies. We spent half of the first trip together before I was transferred to another vessel where I spent a couple more days.
Coming back from the first two trips found us carrying three bags with total of 63 dead birds - all white-chinned petrels.
One Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross and one Cape gannet were caught on the line and released alive and four birds (one sooty shearwater, one shy and two Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses) were observed with fishing lines poking out of their mouths. It was shocking!
After these trips, we went out on another two vessels for a week each. This time we came back with no dead birds, which was excellent. Interesting to note that the first trips were during the full moon - clearly an important factor in bird mortality.
Another interesting fact is that the total bird catch rate for these trips was exactly the same as the one we got from the skippers during the interviews. They do know what they are talking about. At the end of the trips, we delivered tori lines and the skippers promised to use them.
We still need to collect more data from Namibia to come up with an accurate assessment of the problem. I have met a lot of good people in Luderitz who helped me greatly during my stay there and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I hope that together we will be able to conduct more trips, reach more fishermen and reduce the seabird bycatch in Namibia.
After coming back I joined the Sarah Bartman, a South African fisheries petrol vessel, on her last leg of its 21-day trip to Mozambique. We steamed from Durban, on the east coast, to Cape Town and on the way met a few trawlers and longliners.
The usual procedure includes boarding the boats to inspect them but due to the weather we could only talk to them on the radio. I also trained the two inspectors onboard, teaching them how to recognise tori lines and other mitigation measures which are part of the permit conditions and must be used during fishing practises.
Enforcing the existing laws is important in making sure these mitigation measures are been implemented and help albatrosses and petrels stay off the hook.
I want to thank Francois Louw from Marco Fishing, the skippers and crews of the Shearwater Bay, Spencer Bay, Elenga Bay and Tangeni Bay for top-class hospitality and for listening, teaching and being willing to help us help the birds.
Also the staff of the Ministry of Fishery and Marine Resources in Luderitz, especially Cathy Peard, Jean-Paul Roux, Reinhold and Neville Uhongora. Also deepest thanks to Keith Govender and the crew of the Sarah Bartman for a five-star cruse.
We are 'forced' to take a leave for the rest of the month so all of you have happy holidays and a happy new year.