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Leo Tamini

I have started to work as an Albatross Task Force Instructor in Argentina. This is a project co-ordinated by the Seabird Programme of Aves Argentinas and local researchers.

The aim is to educate crew who work on the bottom trawler vessels. The warp cables on these boats drag the whole catch up through the water and hold a huge weight; therefore, the cable movement through the water is an extremely powerful force.

When fish are discarded, the albatrosses get washed into the cables as they forage. Their wings get trapped on the cables and the pressure drags them under and they drown. This has been shown to have a huge impact on seabirds in other fisheries and needs investigating in Argentina. It is so sad to see albatrosses end up as in the photo I have taken.

This bottom trawl net is used in every corner of the Argentine Sea by more than 500 vessels, so you can see how problems in these waters could be critical for albatross conservation. Usually, the longline has been identified as a threat for albatrosses and petrels, but only two vessels use this method regularly in Argentina. Therefore, in Argentina we will be focusing on preventing catastrophe for albatrosses from the bottom trawler vessels.

Background information

Two types of trawl fishery exist in Argentina:

  • 'Freshies' are vessels that go out to sea for up to 15 days which store the catch on ice so that it is fresh when they land it in port, hence the name. Principally they target hake but also include other target species such as squid, cusk eels or a variety of coastal species. The national fleet numbers at around 200 vessels and operates mainly from Mar del Plata, Puerto Madryn and Comodoro Rivadavia.
  • 'Freezers' are vessels going to sea for 40 to 60 days targeting mainly hake, whip-tail hake, southern hake and blue whiting. The entire fleet forms around 100 vessels and operates from Mar del Plata, Puerto Madryn and Puerto Deseado.

In most cases, the species affected is the black-browed albatross, although it is possible that other species of albatross are also affected.

The Albatross Task Force in Argentina are lucky to have Fabian Rabuffetti, the co-ordinator of Aves Argentinas' Seabird Programme taking charge of the team. He has been involved in with seabird conservation in Argentina for many years and will be a great asset. Leandro Tamini is the instructor who will be working in the team.