Venture Into Colossal Squid Territory With The Cap

5 December 2008

MEDIA RELEASE

Venture Into Colossal Squid Territory With The Captain’s Blog

The New Zealand Seafood Industry, in association with Te Papa, are pleased to announce the launch of the Captain’s Blog (http://sanaspiring.wordpress.com/) – regular updates of life from one the world’s most remote locations, the Ross Sea.

Join John Bennett, captain of the Sanford fishing vessel Antarctic Chieftain, as he navigates his ship to the toothfish fishing grounds of the southern ocean and discover what life and work is like aboard a deep sea longline fishing vessel. Meet the 19 crew members and discover the roles of the two independent fisheries observers on board.

What do you do when you’re surrounded by fog and there are more than 30 icebergs on the radar? How does the crew practice survival techniques in one of the most desolate, cold and remote environments of the world? What weird and wonderful creature will they see during their day in the ‘office’? How do you avoid contact with a very curious penguin? What’s a jade iceberg? You can catch up with the sometimes startling events of their day-to-day life first hand on the Captain’s Blog.

While Captain Bennett gained international recognition for securing the world’s only intact colossal squid specimen in 2007, he is highly regarded in the seafood industry and seabird conservation circles for his continuing endeavours to mitigate seabird death. He was the inaugural recipient of the Golden Albatross Award at the 2002 International Fishers Forum.

The blog from the Ross Sea expedition will run until January 2009 and then continue when Captain Bennett takes over the San Aspiring to head to South Georgia fishing grounds where he will expect to see rare seabirds, whales, penguins and seals.

ENDS

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