AR-News: Mariner's journey for albatross

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,13369,1241591,00.html

Mariner's journey for albatross 

John Vidal
Friday June 18, 2004
The Guardian 

"I cannot stand by and watch the albatross die in their tens of thousands." 
With these words, one of Britain's most adventurous pensioners set off last year on an unsponsored, uninsured 28,000-mile voyage to follow the great bird's circumpolar route in the Southern Ocean and to bully governments to tackle the fishing fleets driving the bird towards extinction. 

Yesterday, Tower Bridge in London was raised to welcome not-so-ancient mariner John Ridgway, 66, and the crew of the yacht English Rose. But the prospect of saving the bird seemed no closer, despite a petition signed by 100,000 people and meetings with governments wherever they stopped. 

Mr Ridgway said: "It seemed a good idea at the time to go round the world for the bird. I've always loved the albatross after being in the Southern Ocean quite a bit. Actually, I'm hoping to become an albatross when I die. They are magnificent ... they should live to 80 years old, but at this rate they're lucky to get to 80 weeks." 

According to Mr Ridgway, who was backed by the RSPB and Birdlife international research, pirate fishing boats using helicopters and sonar are killing up to 100,000 albatrosses a year, as a "bycatch". 

The boats, which can take 2,000 tonnes of fish in a day, are heading ever further south. The birds dive on floating bait and are dragged underwater. Mr Ridgway said: "It's a pretty hopeless situation. Nobody cares, because they say it's not their problem." 

But he says he was inspired by ordinary people working against the odds to get governments to take responsibility for what is happening. "I hope the British environment minister, Elliott Morley, does something. But what government is going to waste its budget on a high seas agreement? It doesn't have much appeal, which is why the situation is the way it is." 

His trip through some of the biggest seas in the world nearly ended in disaster near Cape Horn, when a huge wave wrecked the wheelhouse and threatened to capsize the yacht. "It was really bad weather. The helmsman was hit, water flooded in, the electrics went down. It was a difficult situation, quite tough." 

This is probably his last great voyage, says Mr Ridgway, a former army officer, who got unpaid leave to row the across the Atlantic with Chay Blyth in 1966. He has for 38 years run an adventure school and he has sailed round the world several times. 

In 1970 he adopted the daughter of a Quechua Indian who died saving his life in the Amazon. 

"I've been going at it for 60 years. I'm a boring old fart now, a retired grandfather. I just hope the message gets through to the people who can do something. It cost me £150,000 and after I've delivered the albatross petition to the United Nations, I'll go back to Scotland and live on my £130 pension". 

Until, that is, the next adventure calls.




the wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. he is in front of it - axel munthe

"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. 
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."      Margaret Mead
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