Chief Islander's 2019 UK Visit
Chief Islander James Glass returned to the island aboard MFV Edinburgh on 23rd June and sent us this retrospect of his eventful 2019 UK tour as the island copes with the aftermath of the severe July storm.
Report and photos from Chief Islander James Glass
James departed Tristan on the 14th March for Cape Town. He had given up his passage space on the Geo Searcher for an urgent medivac, and as a result missed his trip to St Helena for the Capital Assessment Conference which started on the 9th March.
Whilst in Cape Town he did his (PST) and (PSSR) training, as well as meeting with Janine Nelson, data manager for Ovenstones sorting out what data was required for the MSC Audit which started on the 8th April. The lobster fishery was certified again with no conditions.
He departed Cape Town and arrived in the UK via Dubai on 11th April, James was first based at Lymington in Hampshire, where Berthon Marine was refurbishing the Wave Dancer. During his time there he took part in UK Government London meetings (FCO) with Tristan Government UK Representative Chris Carnegy, as well as meetings with Bluebelt leader, CEFAS and MMO.
Mike Faulds' photo shows James and his wife Felicity talking with Governor-Elect Dr Philip Rushbrook and his wife Janis
at the Tristan Association Annual Gathering on 27th April
On Saturday 27th April 2019 James attended the Tristan Association Annual Gathering held at the Southampton Holiday Inn, where he saw firsthand the incredible support and work carried out by the Tristan Association. He also manage to see his friend and Tristan supporter Neil Foster.
James and Rodney (also on training) then travelled to Milford Haven in Wales where they joined the Ocean Osprey an MMO chartered vessel in the Irish Sea doing inspections of fishing vessels. For a week they were given training by the MMO inspectors, boarding vessels with them as an Assistant Boarding Officer (ABO), some of the vessels James boarded were the Northern Viking a Quad Trawler 112GRT, Ocean Harvester 151GRT, and the beam trawler the Mary Kate 196GRT. James was landed back at Milford Haven whilst Rodney remained on the vessel for another week.
James on the fisheries patrol vessel St Aidan on 14th May
On the River Tyne heading out for a fishery patrol on 14th May
From there he travelled to Newcastle, where he worked with the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (NIFCA). Doing an offshore Fishery Patrol on the St Aidan, travelling from Royal quays marina down the river Tyne to Tynemouth, heading north, passing Whitley Bay and St Mary’s Lighthouse. Then on, past Blyth where there was a wind farm, Newbiggin-by-the-sea, Druridge Bay, then passing Coquet Island off Amble before returning south to Royal Quays. James also joined the inshore (NIFCA) RIB for a patrol up the Northumberland coast to the Farne Islands, and a NIFCA Shore Patrol where he visited the Aln Estuary Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) at Alnmouth, designated for coastal saltmarsh, estuarine rock, intertidal mud and muddy gravel habitats. Then on to Boulmer, a small fishing port with 2 potting boats and 1 salmon boat (coble). James looked at bait digging areas where people dig for lugworm and at the rock and collect periwinkle by hand. Later, James inspected the catch from the Thomas Ian, measuring one box of lobster and observing the velvet crab and whelks. He then visited Amble and Blyth, two larger fishing ports where both potting and trawling boats land. Here, he visited the shellfish wholesaler and measured the lobsters landed by three fishing boats, looking at the variety of fishing boats along the Northumberland coast and visiting the Amble lobster hatchery.
Landing the lobster catch from a larger vessel anchored offshore on 16th May
Fish Auction hall in Fleetwood on 22nd May
James then travelled to Preston in Lancashire, accompanying MMO inspectors along the coast and visiting the fish auction hall in Fleetwood. He then returned to Newcastle before travelling down to RSPB in Sandy and back to Lymington. James manage to have a day cycling in the New Forest with his grandchildren before flying down to South Africa at the end of May, and departed Cape Town for Tristan on the Edinburgh on the 12th June which took 11 days due to bad weather.
James and grandchildren Kieran and Connor cycling in the New Forest on 26th May