Gillnets

Description

Iluminar el Mar uses small, affordable green LED lights attached to fishing nets to reduce the accidental capture of threatened and endangered species such as sea turtles, sharks, rays, dolphins, and whales. This issue, known as fisheries bycatch, is one of the leading threats to marine biodiversity. The lights work by making nets more visible to these species, which have different sensory abilities compared to target bony fish, allowing fishers to maintain their catch without harming vulnerable marine life.

Trials from Phase I in coastal Ecuador showed impressive results, reducing bycatch by 58 percent for sea turtles, 45 percent for sharks, 50 percent for rays, and 73 percent for dolphins and whales. Protecting these keystone species helps maintain healthy oceans—turtles regulate jellyfish populations, while sharks keep the food chain in balance, supporting fish stocks and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

The approach goes beyond technology, working closely with local fishers through workshops and collaboration, building shared knowledge about the importance of these species and co-designing solutions that fit local realities. Also creating market incentives for fish caught using this method, helping fishers earn more while protecting marine ecosystems.

In Phase II, the Project will publish Phase I results, fine-tune the light configurations with fisher feedback, develop a national implementation plan, and roll out the technology on 100 artisanal gillnet vessels across three ports. This will prevent the accidental capture of an estimated 973 sea turtles, 420 mobula rays, 450 dolphins and whales, and 3,613 sharks in just one fishing season. Over five years, the impact grew to 4,866 turtles, 2,100 rays, 2,248 dolphins and whales, and 18,063 sharks.

By reducing bycatch, Iluminar el Mar directly addresses a critical conservation challenge with a simple yet effective solution. The project combines tested innovation with deep local engagement and has the potential to be replicated in small-scale fisheries around the world. It offers a powerful path forward for healthier oceans and stronger coastal communities.

Description

Research suggests that over 300,000 whales and dolphins die annually due to entanglement in fishing gear, with additional unknown numbers also entangled in marine debris.  This can have devastating, long-term conservation impacts on those populations that are already threatened, in some cases critically.  In response to these growing concerns, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) launched a Global Whale Entanglement Response Network (GWERN) in 2011.  The immediate aim of the program was to build safe and effective entanglement response capability around the world.  The long-term goal is to prevent entanglements incidence globally.

The program is a partnership with the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, Massachusetts, US considered one of the global leaders in entanglement response.  It is led by Technical Advisors who work for both CCS and the IWC, supported by an Expert Panel drawn from countries with long-standing and well-tested approaches to entanglement response.

With assistance from this global expert group, a Best Practice Guidelines and a two-day entanglement response training package has been development and is in need of further support.  The training workshop includes classroom study, with information on data collection, relevant regulations, and regional cetacean identification, followed by on the water, hands-on disentanglement exercises.  Since 2012, these training workshops have been delivered across five continents, reaching over 1,700 participants from more than 43 countries.

Funding to support this program includes equipment costs for disentanglement kits and trainer sponsorship consisting of flights, subsistence and a $205/day trainer fee.   Additionally, a smaller funding package to support disengagement kit supplies alone is available.

Description

Set nets, particularly gillnets, are estimated to be responsible for 98% of the 600,000 marine mammals incidentally caught in fisheries each year.  In Norway, the species most impacted is the harbour porpoise (Phocoena Phocoena).  It is estimated that 2,871 harbour porpoises are caught each year in Norwegian gillnet fisheries, with 1,127 (39%) of these attributed to gillnet fisheries targeting Atlantic cod.

This project is designed to address dolphin and porpoise bycatch in the Norwegian Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) gillnet fishery through the increased implementation of acoustic pingers. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) has conducted multiple trials that resulted in between 70-100% reduction in bycatch rates of harbour porpoise in Norwegian gillnet fisheries which led to their mandated use.  However, compliance rates are low, mainly due to the financial costs of purchasing and installing the pingers.

This funding opportunity will provide 500 Fishtek banana acoustic pingers to Atlantic cod gillnet vessels for the 2024 and 2025 fishing seasons.  Through a collaboration with IMR, the 500 pingers will be installed on approximately 50 vessels who have agreed to continued monitoring of the equipment and post season surveys to provide feedback that can be used to increase operational success of the pingers while continuing to reduce dolphin and porpoise bycatch in the region.