The green LED lights help the sea turtles avoid the fishing nets. University of Exeter have created a new net using LED lights to prevent sea turtles from being trapped. (via University of Exeter)
We know it's important to take care of the environment and be nice to animals, especially since more species are becoming endangered. But sometimes we forget our friends in the sea. One of the biggest problem are sea turtles getting trapped in fish nets and dying each year. Their numbers are already dwindling and this situation doesn't help matters. But the researchers from University of Exeter may have found a simple, yet innovative solution to save the shelled reptiles.
The researchers have created fishing nets with evenly placed green LED lights, one every 33 feet, that warns sea turtles away without scaring the fish. This is the first time lighting technology has been used in a working fishery. The results are looking good as teams found the lights may prevent almost 64% of turtle catches in fishing nets. What's even better are the cost effectiveness of the new nets. The lights costs roughly two dollars a unit. Researchers estimate it only costs $34 to save one turtle. If this net is rolled out on a larger scale it may even drive the cost down.
The nets were tested with 114 pairs of gillnets, a type of fishing net strung across the sea floor, off the coast of Peru. When testing was over, they found nets without the lights caught 125 turtles, while the illuminated ones only caught 64. So why is this method so effective? Lead researcher Jeffery Mangel thinks the light makes the nets easier to see, making them easier for the turtles to avoid.
“This is very exciting because it is an example of something that can work in a small-scale fishery which for a number of reasons can be very difficult to work with. These lights are also one of very few options available for reducing turtle bycatch in nets,” said Dr Mangel. “The turtle populations in the eastern Pacific are among the world’s most vulnerable and we are hoping that by reducing bycatch, particularly in gillnets, will help with the management and eventual recovery of these populations.”
The next step for the illuminated nets is experimenting with different colored lights that can warn away other endangered species while ensuring catch quantities for fisherman. The team also hopes to work with fisheries that often unintentionally catch seabirds and smaller dolphins, porpoises, and whales.
“Bycatch is a complex, global issue that threatens the sustainability and resilience of our fishing communities, economies and ocean ecosystems," said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries. "Funding research like this is key to NOAA's efforts to reduce bycatch. Through this work, we can better protect our natural resources.”
Thousands of seas turtles die every year from being accidentally caught in these fishing nets. Many of them are from endangered species making the deaths that more detrimental. If these nets can actually save a significant number of turtles and decrease their unintentional deaths every year, this is a method that needs to be adopted by fisheries everywhere.
Have a story tip? Message me at:
