Blogs

I recently returned from a routine Albatross Task Force at-sea trip onboard a conventional wet fish trawl vessel in Argentina (fish are stored on ice, but not frozen like on the larger freezer vessels). The trip lasted a total of 16 days and fishing was concentrated around 300 km east of the Valdéz...

Photo: Grahame Madge (rspb-images.com) Black browed albatrosses (like those above) are stunning birds. A pure white head with a black eye line that any 60's model would have been proud of, and an impressive wingspan of up to 2.5m (around 8 feet in old money). Like other albatrosses they mature...

In my most recent trip to sea, we set off for a period of eleven days from the port of La Paloma, located on the east coast of Uruguay. We had already partaken in various trips on this vessel, and so the crew already knew us well and they were happy to collaborate with our work again. We now have a much...

Without doubt, the albatross are one of the groups of seabirds that need our greatest conservation effort. Commercial fisheries, through incidental capture, have generated a huge impact in many populations and almost all the species are currently in danger of extinction. As they spend the main part of...

Hello, This is my a first blog post. A truly momentous day. It is thus only fitting that I commence this post the way that all good blog posts should commence: with a photo of two grown men sweating in bird costumes. One in orange pantaloons, the other in white leggings. Fortunately the photographer...

Hello all. This is a long-shot, but I wonder if anyone can help me track down a powerful television film I saw several years ago. The film, a full-length (1 hour) TV film, possibly for the BBC's Natural World though I can't be sure of that, was by an artist who had considered and presented...

From the 30 th November to the 2 nd December 2010, the ATF in Argentina and the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata -CONICET organised the second intensive observer training course for Indentification and Recording of Seabird Interactions with Fisheries. The course was intended for fishery...

Recently I returned from my first trip working with the Albatross Task Force aboard the pelagic longline vessel “Maria Letícia”, from Torquato Pontes Fish Company. This boat sailed under captain Celso, a very experienced captain who specializes in catching tunas. Captain Celso...

This was my first trip on a trawl vessel in Chile, with a fleet that targets common hake. We set off from the San Vincent port in the central southern part of Chile (around Latitude 36°S). The vessel is an industrial trawler and is pretty large, measuring 60 m which is much larger than the smaller...

Seabirds, and other marine wildlife species, have been in the news this week. Firstly albatrosses came under the spotlight thanks to top level talks on tuna fishing and its impact on seabirds . Scientists gathered in Brazil on Monday to agree fishing quotas in the Atlantic. RSPB marine conservationist...

Taken from a boat trip with Albatross Encounters, Kaikoura, New Zealand. These beautiful birds could be extinct in a few years. Is that ok with you? If not, go to www.savethealbatross.net and find out how you can help. Now. Thank you.

Taken from a boat trip with Albatross Encounters, Kaikoura, New Zealand. These beautiful birds could be extinct in a few years. Is that ok with you? If not, go to www.savethealbatross.net and find out how you can help. Now. Thank you.