Solutions

Gears and Best Practices

Acoustic Pingers

Acoustic pingers serve as a marine mammal deterrent device in net fisheries by emitting a sound that can be detected within a certain distance of the net. Implementation of acoustic pingers in gillnet fisheries has become widespread over the last decade, especially in the northern Atlantic, where it is required by law in numerous fisheries.

Fishery Type

Gillnets

Ocean Region

Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Groundfish, Hake, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

Gears and Best Practices

Avoid Hotspots

Hotspots are areas that have a higher abundance of bycatch taxa where it is more likely to have high bycatch rates if fishing is conducted. It is a best practice to avoid setting fishing gear in these locations.

Fishery Type

Gillnets, Longline, Purse Seine, Trawls

Ocean Region

Eastern Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean, Southern Atlantic Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean

Target Species

American Lobster, Dungeness Crab, Mahi, Swordfish, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks and Rays

Gears and Best Practices

Decreased Soak Times

Soak time is the amount of time that deployed fishing gear stays in the water. The longer the gear is set in the water, the higher the bycatch rate will be.

Fishery Type

Gillnets, Longline, Purse Seine, Trawls

Ocean Region

Eastern Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean, Southern Atlantic Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Groundfish, Mahi, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks and Rays

Gears and Best Practices

Net Lights

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.

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

Gears and Best Practices

Night Settings

Seabirds are visual hunters and most active during daylight hours. By shifting to setting fishing gear when it is dark, seabird interaction with baited hooks and nets is greatly reduced thereby decreasing bycatch rates.

Fishery Type

Longline, Gillnets, Trawls

Ocean Region

Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Mahi, Swordfish, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Seabirds

Gears and Best Practices

Smart Buoys

Smart buoys provide constant location information so that gear can be tracked remotely, which helps fishers locate gear if it has come loose or moved in a storm. Importantly, it also can alert fishers when buoy lines are being dragged, for example provide continuous real-time location data of entangled whales which would greatly increase disentanglement success.

Fishery Type

Gillnets, Longline, Pots/Traps, Purse Seine

Ocean Region

Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, Southern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Hake, American Lobster, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks and Rays

Gears and Best Practices

Sub-Surface Sets

Surface set gillnets can catch sea turtles and small cetaceans that spend most of their time at the surface. By increasing the depth of the float line (the top rope on the net) a few meters, sea turtles and small cetaceans at the surface can pass over without becoming entangled, decreasing the bycatch rate.

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, Seabirds