Solutions
Net Lights
Fishery Type
Gillnets
Ocean Region
Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean
Target Species
Atlantic Cod, Groundfish, Hake, Tuna
Bycatch Species
Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles
Net lights are LED lights attached directly to fishing nets, most commonly in gillnet fisheries, that serve to illuminate the top of the net making it more noticeable to bycatch. By illuminating the top of the net, typically the float line, sea turtles and seabirds are alerted of its presence and can thereby avoid the net by swimming above it in the illuminated section of the water column. Net lights have been shown to decrease sea turtle bycatch in gillnet fisheries. However, one concern is fish attraction to lights and the illumination of fish in the net which can potentially lead to increased shark/ray bycatch rates which needs to be considered and monitored if implemented.