One for ship watchers

[Seabird]

Dutch Fisheries Research Ship TRIDEN 1 working off the East coast of Caithness.
Picture taken from Swiney Hill, Lybster this morning.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e307/seabird72/Tridens1.jpg

[south view 7]

Thanks for that info.seabird,could see her from my window and was wondering what she was up to.

[Lavenderblue2]

Thanks for that Seabird - we saw it just off Latheron when we were heading south on Saturday mid morning and wondered what it was.

LB

[Laid-Back-Maverick]

I wonder if they're still looking at sandeel populations? They were working off the Firth Of Forth last year to see whether a commercial fishery could start up again :roll:

[the_count]

I just hope the sand-eel population is back up enough to stop the seabirds from starving like they did in 06 :confused

[Seabird]

I just hope the sand-eel population is back up enough to stop the seabirds from starving like they did in 06 :confused

A lot also starved in 2007.
Last year the season started well but then all went wrong and birds starved in the late Summer and Autumn.
The sea is staying colder for a little longer this year so that should help.

[Seabird]

Sea looks calm.
Pentland Firth can be deceptive.
FR 147 dips into a swell.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e307/seabird72/Snakes/ships/FR147PentlandFirth17-1-09.jpg

[nirofo]

They should have been looking at Sandeel populations more than 20 years ago! The Scotman newspaper ran a centre page spread in 1990 depicting the effect that overfishing of Sandeels was having on the seabird populations of Shetland and surrounding areas. They stated that more than 500,000 Tons of Sandeels were being taken annually from these waters to make nothing more than fishmeal and fertiliser. They stated that the Kittiwakes were falling off their nests with starvation. Nothings changed it still goes on, however the annual quotas have been lowered, they're only allowed to take 300,000 Tons now ???

nirofo.

[Kenn]

Thanks seabird and nirofo.
I have never been able to understand the necessity for catching sand eels to turn them into cattle fodder and fertiliser, both highly unatural practices when there are so many alternatives available.
Quite frankly I'd rather have a healthy seabird population and bacon that does n't taste of fish!