Hello seabirds' friends.
I am here to tell you the news from Santos/Brazil Port.
As the summer is not a good time to observe birds here in Brazil, I have been preparing the vessels to start to test the bird scaring lines (tori lines). This equipment is essential for scaring seabirds while the fishermen are setting the baits at sea.
Captain Dirceu from the Camburi fishing vessel has agreed to install the tori line. He said that he already has some experience of how to use it on board because he has previously worked in a Chinese fleet. This fleet operated in regions (below 20° latitude south) where there were many albatrosses and petrels.
The Captain suggested a tori line model which has a low risk of entangling with the longline during the settings. The next day, the Captain and I discussed the best place to install the tori lines poles on the boat. We decided to test a pole with 90° of angle, in spite of other tori line models here in Brazil being installed at a 25° angle. I have called this model 'Dirceu's tori line'.
After two days, the tori line was ready and I demonstrated the equipment details to Captain Dirceu. He was happy to test this mitigation measure to reduce seabird bycatch and he said: 'I compromise myself to help the seabird researchers and to improve the efficiency of tori lines because when autumn-winter times arrive I just want to appreciate the beauty of these magnificent birds'.
I promised to the Captain that I would share his tori line model among the other fishermen. He got very excited about it!! Actually, I am departing to test the tori lines at sea today. When I come back I'll tell you about the news! I am very excited to see how the behaviour of fishermen about it will be, and the efficiency of Mr. Dirceu's model of tori line.