The Weather Packs It In

Posted by Vanessa at 01:20 PM, October 28, 2004

This morning we geared up, ready to stop the Playa de Menduiña from fishing. As soon as we heard that the trawler had hauled earlier than expected and was steaming off, we jumped into action mode.

However, the good weather we had been enjoying started to turn and the wind picked up. All the activists were kitted up and ready to go in the Esperanza's wet room, eager to get out there before the nets were set again. As we were launching the boats, we got the call from the bridge that were already too late – the nets had been set, and we had just missed our opportunity.

After an incredible run of freakishly good weather, the North Atlantic has again realised that it's winter. The wind and swell has picked up, which means that we are unable to do further work out here, at least for a while.

We are all a bit disappointed that the action wasn't possible today, that we couldn't really stop them fishing.

But I can't tell you how lucky we have been with the weather in this area for this time of year. John, our captain, kept reiterating on the bridge how unusual it was, and that normally we would have expected the same kind of conditions we had in the first week, which would have meant no activities at all.

It's been amazing luck - to have the good weather coincide with the key time that the UN has been discussing what to do about bottom trawling on the high seas, and to then also find a bottom trawler too.

I think that the gods and goddesses of the deep sea have definitely been on our side this time.