a) displays the longline setting that employs a medium-sized boulder to increase the sink rate. b) reveals a
brotula with its stomach everted due to pressure fluctuations, resulting in fishing line buoyancy that attracts
seabirds to the caught fish. c) illustrates encounters between fishers and seabirds that can lead to positive
psychological experiences. d) exemplifies the application of fishing guidelines during the setting operation,
where fishers use a stick to scare away seabirds, thus preventing damage to bait and accidental seabird
bycatch. e) depicts a fisher gutting a hake and discarding offal, which is then consumed by seabirds. f)
depicts the appeal of hake liver as a food source for southern giant petrels and black-browed albatrosses.
Photos were taken by Jaime Ojeda.
By Jaime Ojeda, Flavia Morello, Cristián Suazo, María Astorga, Anne Salomon, and Natalie Ban.
We explored potential reciprocal contributions that arise in artisanal fishing activities with marine biodiversity, particularly with seabirds. While previous research has focused on investigating the ecosystem services of marine environments from a one-way perspective, we aimed to adopt a bidirectional vision using two methodological frameworks: Nature’s Contributions to People and Reciprocal Contributions.
Our research involved direct interactions with artisanal hake fishers, who shared their perceptions of the benefits of seabirds’ presence and their own contributions to the ecology of albatrosses and petrels in the sub-Antarctic channels of Patagonia. We also visited fishing huts and learned from their stories about seabirds. Additionally, we travelled in small boats through the southern seas, taking ethnographic notes and making visual records through documentary photography.
The other part of the phenomenon refers to seabirds’ perspectives on encounters with fishers. Clearly, we could not interview seabirds about their interactions with fishing boats, but we do know that seabirds are attracted to offal discards (hake viscera), which are a food source for them. Therefore, we evaluated offal consumption through experimental and observational methods. We randomly threw hake viscera into the sea and observed the responses of seabirds, whether they preferred to consume stomach, liver, or gonad.
The main findings were:
- From the fishers’ perspective, we identified that fishing in the right way can minimize bycatch and that fish offal can contribute to the seabird diets.
- In return, seabirds offer various benefits, including companionship, aesthetic value, sea cleaning services, and function as indicators of fishing zones.
- From the perspective of seabirds, we observed that southern giant petrels and black-browed albatrosses preferentially consumed hake liver over other offal, likely due to its rich fat content.
These results show that people can have a variety of values and knowledge about the marine ecosystem that are often hidden in hands-on experiences and narratives. These values and perceptions can be crucial in management strategies. We propose a dual approach that promotes a broad and balanced integration of ecological, cultural, and social factors in fisheries management.
Relational Thinking 