Skip navigation

The Task Force in Namibia

Kaspar Shimooshii, Albatross Task Force member in Namibia

The seas off Namibia are rich in nutrients, and attract large numbers of seabirds.

So there was plenty to celebrate in 2008 when I became the first Albatross Task Force member in Namibia.

I'm Kaspar Shimooshii, and I bring lots of local experience to the team, having previously worked as a scientist aboard Namibian trawl vessels.

Bottom longline fishing fleets set over 100 million hooks each year, while those vessels that target swordfish, tuna and sharks, set almost three million hooks - each one a potential threat to foraging seabirds.

Estimates suggest that each year as many as 30,850 seabirds are dragged under by hooks, or killed in collisions with cables in these fisheries.

This is a shockingly large number of dead birds, especially when you realise that only a small number of vessels operate in these waters.

Namibia is therefore an important area for us to work in, and I'll be working with colleagues from South Africa to safeguard the future for albatrosses in this region.

What can I do?

You don't have to travel all the way to Namibia to find out more about the work of the Albatross Task Force.

What can I do?

Support the Albatross Task Force. These dedicated individuals are working with fishermen at sea in rough conditions, as well as onshore, showing them how to prevent albatross deaths.

Back to basics