Dairies
Read the latest diary entries from our campaigners who are working around the world to help save the albatross.
Name: Caio Azevedo
Background: Caio Azevedo is the RSPB Wildlife Explorers-sponsored Albatross Task Force member, working in Brazil. The RSPB's junior members helped raise over £47,000 to help pay for Caio's recruitment. He is a marine biologist and has been involved in scientific observer and fisheries research work since 1998.
Name: Kaspar Shimooshili
Background: Kaspar worked as an Environmental Officer for the municipality of Walvis Bay after completing a BSc in Natural Resources He gained at-sea experience working as a scientist on Namibian trawl vessels, which provides invaluable understanding of the fishery for the local ATF team. Kaspar is now an Albatross Task Force member in Namibia.
Name: Martín Abreu
Background: Martin is an Albatross Task Force Member in Uruguay. He studied to be a captain of small fishing vessels, but instead chose to work as an on-board observer in the Uruguayan fishing fleet.
Name: Meidad Goren
Background: Meidad is one of our first Albatross Task Force members and is based at BirdLife South Africa in Cape Town. Meidad most recently worked as a scientific observer onboard fishing vessels sailing out of Cape Town. Read his diary.
Name: Leandro Tamini
Background: Leo has been involved with the Argentinian trawl fishery since completing his degree thesis on penguin bycatch associated with the fleet. He has great on-board experience through work with Aves Argentinas and has been heavily involved in community awareness projects. He is currently based in Mar Del Plata.
Name: John Paterson
Background: John previously worked as a conservation officer in Namibia's Skeleton National Park. He brings with him an excellent knowledge of seabirds and has strong links with local government and non-governmental organisations.
Name: Fabiano Peppes
Background: Fabiano graduated in Oceanography. He has worked on the introduction of mitigation measures using satellite systems and is responsible for the Projeto Albatroz Observer Program. He gained great experience on 14 oceanic cruises since 2002. Read his diary.
Name: Bronwyn Maree
Background: Bronwyn is an Task Force member in South Africa. She undertook both Honours and Masters degrees in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science and has worked twice as a scientist onboard the Norwegian research vessel DR Fridjof Nansen.
Name: Léo Sales
Background: Léo Sales holds a degree in Biological Sciences and started his career working on the implementation of Bycatch Reduction Devices on trawl vessels. Since then, he has worked with environmental conservation organisations at many levels. Leo completed his first cruise on a research vessel with Projeto Albatroz, and was then invited to become part of the Projeto Albatroz team in Brazil.
Name: Rodrigo Vega
Background: Rodrigo is a fishery biologist and statistician. He has three years experience onboard vessels that fish for swordfish in the pelagic environment in the Pacific, between Coquimbo (Chile), Juan Fernandez Archipelago and Easter Island. He has a passion for the topic of research to mitigate the incidental mortality of albatrosses.
Name: Jorge Ruiz
Background: After completing a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Jorge has worked in different wildlife research projects. His experiences combine with his artistic ability to produce superb illustrations of Chilean wildlife. His role will to be to work with fishermen to reduce seabird bycatch and to prepare outreach material for South American vessels.
Name: Ricardo Hoinkis
Background: Ricardo is an oceanographer who has extensive experience in the fisheries sector. As one of the new members of the Albatross Task Force in Brazil, he will be testing mitigation measures for longline vessels and be based in the port of Itajaí.
Name: Barry Watkins
Background: Barry has previously worked with the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology on seabird biology. He recently managed a toothfish fishery and visited two of his boyhood dream destinations: South Georgia and the Ross Sea. Read his diary.
Name: Sebastián Jiménez
Background: Sebastián is working on his Masters Degree in Biological Sciences. In 2003 he started to work on the interactions between longline fisheries and seabirds, since then he has studied the bycatch of albatross and petrels with the intention of improving their conservation status. He has also been involved in at-sea research on trawl vessels in the Uruguayan fleet.
Name: Humberto Flores
Background: Humberto is a fishing captain with ample experience of longlines. He has participated in research cruises to investigate swordfish biology and the testing of measures to prevent turtle bycatch. He has been a participant in workshops and forums on the mitigation of mortality of seabirds.
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