This last trip to sea was onboard a vessel dedicated to catching swordfish and tuna. My goal was to continue experimenting with the tori lines we have been designing and testing in pelagic fisheries in Uruguay.
We conducted seven fishing operations, three with a tori line and four without. Despite an entanglement with the line, the tori lines again demonstrated that they are a good option for mitigating seabird bycatch as they significantly reduce the incidental capture of albatross and petrels.
I observed all the sets and hauls and recorded three White-chinned petrels that were caught during fishing operations that were conducted without mitigation measures, plus one during an operation when the tori line became entangled.
We have improved the design of the tori line this year, increasing the aerial extent which is critical to protecting the area where birds attack baited hooks. We are now working to adapt the tori line to find a way that may prevent the entanglement issues.
We are trying to understand the technical aspects of the mitigation measures at sea in commercial conditions, which helps us improve the materials and operation so that the tori lines will eventually be used under all and any sea conditions.
In order to do so, it is essential that the fishing master or skipper is involved in the experimental operations to correctly manoeuvre the vessel to assist our work. His cooperation prevents difficulties during the setting and retrieval of the tori line.
We have worked onboard this vessel before and despite the fact that setting and hauling a tori line involves a little extra work for the crew, the fishing master has voluntarily adopted the mitigation measure even when we are not onboard to conduct experiments.
As an anecdotal snippet of information, during this trip I released a cape petrel that had somehow found its way in to the vessel during the night. The mechanic, who has a phobia of birds, was not too keen on handling it to help it out of the engine room. I was therefore summoned to go and help save this hapless stow-away!