Nahuel Chavez is a seabird biologist who has worked as an Albatross Task Force (ATF) Instructor in Argentina for eight years. He has been passionate about saving albatross since his first trip on a longline-fishing vessel when he saw huge numbers of them being killed, and knew he had to do something to stop it. Nahuel writes to us from a trawler off the coast of Argentina where he is on a 55-day trip to monitor the impact on seabirds.
“It has been over 40 days since we set sail on the ‘Tai-An’ freezer trawler from the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina, where I live. It is the second time I have been onboard this particular boat and thanks to this I have a good rapport with the captain and crew. They already know about saving the albatross and are always willing to help me. This is the only vessel in Argentina producing ‘surimi’, a fish paste, which you may be more familiar with in the UK as crabsticks. The Tai-An fishes for hake, hoki, and Southern blue whiting; all species found in the southern waters of Argentina, near Cape Horn. Depending on the time of year, very strong winds blow here, providing the perfect conditions for the most threatened birds on the planet: the albatrosses and petrels. This puts the birds into contact with fishing vessels that sadly can kill large numbers of them.
The job of an ATF instructor is to work to reduce the accidental mortality of albatrosses and petrels that either drown in fishing nets, or are struck and killed by the thick metal cables towing the net. I teach fishermen how to use Bird Scaring Lines (BSLs), which are hugely effective in reducing seabird deaths by more than 80%. The brightly coloured streamers blow in the wind and scare the birds away from dangerous cables and nets. One of my tasks is to observe the seabirds flying around the boat, identify the species and estimate their number, as well as recording instances of birds being injured or killed during trawling. I also give talks so the crew can learn more about the life of these birds and encourage them to get involved in the work to save them.
Normally I see birds flying all around the boat, attracted by waste scraps of fish from the factory on the vessel, but on this trip I came face-to-face with the most abundant albatross in our sea, the Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). One day after lunch the crew told me there was an albatross in the bow of the boat. When I went with the captain to see it, I saw it was an adult "black-brow" and was in perfect condition. Albatross need a lot of space to "taxi" and take flight, which of course at sea is very easy but from a boat it can become very difficult. We took several photos and other crew members also came to see the albatross. Seeing these fantastic birds up close really helps the crew develop an appreciation for these birds, their immense size is hard to comprehend when they are in the air. Whilst watching this beautiful bird with its snow white feathers and its black streak above the eye, which give it its common name, I could not help but imagine its life a little. As soon as they can fly they spend more than six years in the open ocean feeding and exploring the southern hemisphere, before returning to the exact location they were born in where they take a few more years to find a mate. It is only when they are 10 or 12 years old that they are ready to breed, laying just one egg per year. They are very long-lived birds, and can reach more than 60 years, as long as they are not accidentally killed by fishing vessels in search of food (fish, squid and offal discards from boats). The black-browed albatross nests on the remote islands of the southern cone, with over 70% of its population breeding on the Falkland Islands.
Many people do not know much about albatrosses. Even the crew are surprised when I tell them about the life of the albatross and they see qualities that they can relate to themselves. The encounter with the albatross ended when we lifted it into the air and it spread its two and a half meters wings, taking advantage of the strong wind and glided away over the Argentine sea. Even though the encounter was over we had several photographs to cherish and a sense of satisfaction that working together, as a team, it is possible to continue watching them fly. Undoubtedly this close encounter was the best part of my trip.
In the coming months I think the tide will begin to turn for these albatross as from May 2018 the use of BSLs will become mandatory for the freezer trawler boats in Argentina. Although the Tai-An already voluntarily uses BSLs, others in the fleet do not, and over 10,000 black-browed albatross will be saved every single year, just from using this simple device.
All photos courtesy of Nahuel Chavez.
As the world leader in exploration travel, Hurtigruten offer unique adventures to the far ends of the planet. Their intimate voyages take you to unique environments, where amazing wildlife experiences are right at your fingertips. By booking a voyage at www.hurtigruten.co.uk and quoting 'UK13HRRTRSPB5', 10 per cent of the cost of your booking will be donated to the RSPB, supporting seabird conservation – and you’ll also receive a 5 per cent discount.