Green Lights on Fishing Nets Reduced Turtle Bycatch in a | TrendingAmerican

A study highlighted in NOAA Fisheries reports that green LED-equipped gillnets cut sea turtle bycatch by about 64% in a Peruvian fishery without reducing the desired fish catch. Researchers tested illuminated gillnets against conventional nets under real fishing conditions in Sechura Bay, northern Peru, and found the bycatch reduction in that setting. NOAA cautions that the results should not be treated as a worldwide reduction in sea turtle deaths, and that raw totals shouldn’t be used to replicate the percentage without accounting for fishing effort and the study’s analysis. A later University of Exeter study also reported reduced turtle and small-cetacean bycatch in additional Peruvian fisheries, supporting continued testing while acknowledging that effectiveness may vary by species, gear and location. The approach is framed as practical because conservation measures must work for fishers as well as wildlife.