The last month was a dry land month for me. I was busy with four workshops we organised for fishermen and managers from the local fisheries - hake longline and trawl fishery, tuna and swordfish longline and shark longline fisheries. We also conducted a workshop for Compliance Officers.
The workshops all went very well. We learn a lot from the industry people and also make important contacts that help us a lot with our work.
I recently 'employed' my new 'Bird Officer' onboard the 'Atalanta', which is a South African tuna longliner. His name is Ali Hessein and he is the Second Engineer on the vessel. He joins Michael Swanepoel ('Swanni') from the 'Saxon'. Both are important suppliers of information regarding the seabird bycatch and tori line use on their boats.
We make contact every time they come back from sea and they tell me all the details I need and bring back dead birds if there are any. I want to thank them for their co-operation - it is completely voluntary and comes out of their passion for the birds, as for all marine wildlife.
Next week I'm going to sea again. This trip will be on a hake longline out of Mossel Bay on the south coast of South Africa.