
However, such management measures are highly unpopular among fishers as they reduce fishing income and are only effective if seabird distribution data are adequate to predict seabird distributions in space and time, with potentially unexpected and negative outcomes when such data are not available. The current best practice for minimizing seabird bycatch is to spatially or temporally exclude gillnet fishing from specific areas or at times when susceptible species are known to aggregate. However, these studies often report bycatch reduction of a few species in specific geographical areas, and the reductions observed in these studies have not been observed in fisheries elsewhere (with different species and geographies). Some studies suggest that technical measures, such as LED lights, can reduce seabird bycatch in gillnet fisheries. However, to date, a ubiquitously effective solution has not been identified to mitigate bycatch in gillnet fisheries, despite an estimated 400 000 seabirds being by-caught in gillnet fisheries each year. Various technical mitigation measures have been developed and have proven effective in reducing seabird bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds are estimated to be killed in global fisheries each year, with the main sources of mortality coming from gillnet, longline and trawl fisheries. Bycatch is widely recognized as one of the top three threats affecting seabird species globally, both in the number of species affected, and the total number of birds potentially impacted.
Baltic sea anomaly wiki driver#
The accidental capture of organisms in fisheries, known as bycatch, has been identified as a primary driver of population declines in several species of marine megafauna. While further research is needed, our preliminary trials indicate that above-water visual devices could potentially contribute to reduce seabird bycatch if appropriately deployed in coordination with other management measures. We found no evidence for a memory effect on long-tailed ducks but found some habituation to the LEB within the time frame of the project (62 days). We show that long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis abundance declined by approximately 20–30% within a 50 m radius of the LEB and that the presence of LEBs was the most important variable explaining this decline.

We counted the number of birds present in areas with and without LEBs in a controlled experimental setting.

Here, we tested whether this novel above-water device called ‘Looming eyes buoy' (LEB) would consistently deter vulnerable seaducks from a focal area. Using a combination of insights from land-based strategies, seabirds' diving behaviours and their cognitive abilities, we developed a floating device exploring the effect of large eyespots and looming movement to prevent vulnerable seabirds from diving into gillnets. To date, no underwater deterrents trialled have consistently reduced seabird bycatch across operational fisheries. Bycatch of seabirds in gillnet fisheries is a global conservation issue with an estimated 400 000 seabirds killed each year.
