In February 2020, Fisheries Observer Geoff Dolan embarked on the longest six-week journey of his career. Working aboard a commercial fishing vessel as COVID-19 spread throughout the globe, it would be seven months before he would set foot on New Zealand soil once again.
Flights in and out of the Falkland Islands were grounded and travel by sea became the only way Geoff could find his way home. What followed was a series of trips working on multiple vessels, with only two days ashore, before eventually ending up back in New Zealand.
The work Fisheries Observers like Geoff do is vital for the sustainability of our fisheries. As well as monitoring and confirming the catch of commercially caught fish, they also report biological data and environmental interactions like catching protected species.
We caught up with Geoff on his return home and heard about his experiences while away at sea.
