Solutions

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

Bird Scaring Lines (Streamer Lines)

Bird scaring lines, also known as streamer lines and tori lines, are streamers hung from the back of the vessel that scare away seabirds during the gear set and haul. Bird scaring lines effectively serve as a barrier between seabirds and the fishing gear, since most seabirds will not be willing to cross them, preventing seabird bycatch through either net entanglement or getting hooked on a longline.

Fishery Type

Longline, Trawls

Ocean Region

Target Species

Bycatch Species

Seabirds

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

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

Turtle-Excluder Devices

Turtle excluder devices are modifications to trawl nets that block specific taxa from getting dragged into the cod end of the net and allows them to swim out while the trawl net is being towed.

Fishery Type

Trawls

Ocean Region

Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Groundfish, Shrimp

Bycatch Species

Sea Turtles