Tristan : Tristan da Cunha – Fishing and Shipping News
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 18.09.2011 (Article Archived on 02.10.2011)

The MV Edinburgh departed Cape Town at the end of August on her first fishing trip of the lobster season.

Photo (c) James Glass (Tristan Times)

Tristan da Cunha – Fishing and Shipping News

By Sarah Glass (Tristan Times)

The MV Edinburgh departed Cape Town at the end of August on her first fishing trip of the lobster season.  She first discharged cargo then completed the Fisheries Departments independent surveys, at Tristan, Inaccessible and Nightingale islands.

Catches at Nightingale were exceptionally poor, only landing 167kgs.  Two days of commercial fishing, was also done on the 11^th and 12^th September to compare with last year and catches were only about a third, compared with last year’s catches.  At the moment no diving has been done at Nightingale since the wreck of the Oliva in March, but poor catches suggest that the incident is the cause of the decline in catch rates.  The Edinburgh is now currently at Gough Island, where she will do surveys before commence fishing.

The SA Agulhas departed Cape Town on her final voyage to Tristan and Gough Island and arrived on the 14^th September, when the passengers were flown ashore in the afternoon.  However, much to the disappointment of the passengers, bad weather prevented any boats from getting out of the harbour to the vessel, to collect their luggage and urgent medical supplies, until Saturday morning 17^th September.  Although it was pouring with rain, with a slight swell running through the entrance of the harbour, the skill of the crew operating the two barges, made it look easy.