Toftevaag’s journey to Ithaca
After Thirty-four years of research for the conservation of the Mediterranean, it is time for Toftevaag to head north on a journey back to her Island of Halsnöy. This is a dream that many of the Alnitak “friends of Toftevaag” have been sharing for several years.
But before leaving the Med, Toftevaag will conduct a final campaign in the Alboran Sea in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Foundation to intercept the illegal driftnet fishing operations along the North African coast.
This will be Toftevaag’s last battle against this nightmare of pirate fishing that kills tens of thousands of sharks, whales, dolphins and turtles every year. It’s the elephant in the room of the Mediterranean’s fishing and biodiversity policy frameworks. Europe and the relevant intergovernmental organisations prefer to ignore the problem than to face Algeria, Morocco or the Calabrian fishers. Even the US have recently given the green light to the import of illegally caught tuna despite having the evidence shown by Alnitak of over 940 pirate fishing vessels operating the Alboran Sea, the Algerian Basin and the waters around Sicily.
You can collaborate with Alnitak to fight illegal fishing and ghost fishing. Yachts, fishers and patrol boats to collaborate by sending reports of illegal nets or ghost fishing gear through the Observadores del Mar APP. You can also join us as volunteer on this very last expedition of Toftevaag in the Mediterranean. Check it out at www-alnitak.org.
This map illustrates the trip planned for Toftevaag in 2024 and 2025. After Toftevaag’s final environmental research campaign (10-22 April – Almerimar – Al Hoceima – Tarifa – Rota), on the 25th of April Toftevaag initiates a new expedition focusing on the preservation of maritime culture. This adventure will explore the exodus of tens of thousands of Estonian refugees that fled to America escaping from Stalin.
Ants Lepson, our first skipper on board Toftevaag in 1989 was 14 when he and his family sailed across the North Atlantic on board a sistership of Toftevaag.
On our way north to Halsnöy (Norway), we will visit ports as Marin (Galicia), interviewing witnesses of the exodus and digging into archives.
The entire journey is of around 2.500 nautical miles. In 2024 we will sail along the coast of northern Spain, visiting some emblematic places for Alnitak and Toftevaag, as O Porto, Vigo, Marín, Celeiro, Santander and Pasaia.
In 2025 we will continue north joining the maritime classic boat gatherings at Douarnenez, and Zeil Amsterdam and Öckerö (Sweden), ending in Arendal and Halsnöy. If you are interested in joining the Toftevaag or participating in any of the other Alnitak expeditions, visit www.alnitak.org.
