Hello to all albatross fans!
We don't just speak to fishermen at sea. Most fishermen spend long periods of time at-sea and as there are only a few ATF instructors around, we try to meet them in between their trips. Albatross Task Force South Africa has for the last three years been conducting training workshops. In these workshops we tackle issues such as seabird, turtle and shark bycatch. Together we look for ways of action to solve these problems by using both parties' experience.
Lately, the ATF has also supported the WWF Marine Programme which has developed a unique training course to explore an Environmental Approach to Fisheries. These workshops last for two days, at the end of which the attendees receive a T-shirt and a certificate. ATF Instructors help whenever we can with the organisation of these workshops and our presentations focus on the trawl and longline fisheries with which we work.
Last week we packed our belongings and flew to the town of Richards Bay, located on the east coast of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal to conduct a longline training workshops for skippers, crew and Fishing Compliance Officers from the region.
This was the first time we'd done this in the region as we are based in Cape Town where the main bulk of the longline and trawl fisheries are located. The workshop went really well and included a skipper and his son I went to sea with three years ago! All attendees said they enjoyed it very much and learned a lot.
Sitting together conservationists, fishermen and fishery enforcement officers brings up very important issues such as laws, research and social mattersThe discussions that arose are immensely interesting and we also learn a lot from the industry. This kind of dialog also clarifies lots of misunderstandings that occur amongst the fishing sector.
The main message we try to bring across is that everything links to everything else. The fish to the birds, the birds to people, the ocean to our families and especially the way we treat our environment to the quality of our lives.
We all agree that we're all on the same side and that we must work together to ensure the marine environment has a chance to thrive into the future.