At this time of year in the southern hemisphere you can enjoy a stroll along the harbour and, in the evening, watch the vessels gently roll in with their ice boxes full of fish as they arrive to the bustling activity of the port.
Over the last week I’ve been dedicating my work to this peasant activity - port visits in the city where I live, Mar del Plata, in the province of Buenos Aires. This work is orientated toward identifying the smallest vessels of the national fleet, the coastal trawlers. By identifying the different techniques and operational factors of the vessels within the fleet we hope to generate a database of vessels that will serve as a useful reference as we develop future estimations of seabird bycatch.
In general, the coastal boats are relatively small; mostly less than 20 metres total length and they catch a variety of species, working with a suite of different fishing gears. They work all year round and never stop, changing the target species according to the season.
I’ve been recording these details and which boats make daily trips, or stay out for three to four days. In order to do so, I head down to the port at around six o’clock in the afternoon, when the vessels are arriving from sea. As they unload their catch I hold short discussions and interviews with the crew about fishing, our campaign to save the albatross and how our work is connected.
Access to the port and loading areas is open to the public thanks to the influence of tourism in Mar del Plata, and the interest generated by all the orange-painted vessels. It is a real post-card moment for many people who visit. My presence also causes significant interest, and I find myself answering lots of questions about our work and our interaction with the fleet.
So far I’ve identified over 90 vessels and have recorded details from the interviews about the capture of not only albatross, but also smaller species of petrel and shearwater. At the moment this aspect is still at an early stage as we need to document the nature of the bycatch first hand through at-sea work. However, these coastal boats are small and available space is really limited. There is hardly enough room for the crew which makes safety a real concern.
Our emerging work with this fleet is of great importance as it permits us to further understand and interact with this fleet and the artisanal fishing community.