Last month I returned from my most recent trip, this time aboard on the FV Maria, the same longliner that I had worked with last winter. We spent 19 days at sea and conducted 15 longline sets. In order to minimize seabird interactions all these sets were performed with a tori line deployed and were started at night. Despite the constant presence of albatrosses and petrels during the operations we performed another trip with no seabird bycatch, showing the fishermen again that it is possible and easy if they are just willing to make the effort.
During this trip the catch of target species (tuna) was not very good, and because of this we navigated a lot searching for fish. We travelled from 31° to 34° S, and in water depths from 500 m to more than 4,000 m deep, at least 250 nautical miles off the coast.
Hearing from my colleagues Sebastián Jiménez and Martin Abreu, from Uruguay, I noted the similarities between seabird information reported by them and my own observations at sea in Brazil during the same period of the year (October/November).
According to Sebastián they observed a peak of Wandering albatrosses between September and November in Uruguayan waters, and during my trip last month I was surprised by number of Wandering Albatrosses*, at least 16 were attending the vessel at the same time, many more than the maximum of seven I have seen during winter months.
Martin observed a total of 23 species during his last trip, including the Sooty albatross. Coincidently, during my last trip, I observed 24 species, including not only the uncommon Sooty (Phoebetria fusca), but also the Light-mantled albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata). That was the first time I have seen such a rare species in Brazilian waters, and was a surprise for me to know that Martin also observed this albatross in Uruguay at the same time.
These observations reinforce the similarities between the southern Brazilian and Uruguayan waters, in the same way that similarities exist between the terrestrial ecosystems, and even between the culture of southern Brazil and our neighbouring country.
This reminds us that the division of the sea is purely political, and only through international cooperation can we achieve success in albatross conservation.
*In fact, some of the “Wandering albatross” observed could be Tristan albatross, as these two species are virtually indistinguishable at sea.