Every year, fishing gear accidentally traps and kills many thousands of sea turtles and other nontarget animals around the world, including some 40,000 turtles in the Mediterranean alone. Most species of sea turtles, such as green and loggerheads, are classified as endangered — some critically so — and their loss poses a risk of species extinction and damage to ecosystems. Tools to avert this loss include changes to net meshes, adjustments in hauling practices, and most commonly, time or area restrictions on harvesting activities. Moreover, the fisheries usually connected to turtles are typically small scale and harvesting unwanted bycatch damages relatively costly gear.
A new tool to protect sea turtles has emerged from efforts by British scientists at the University of Exeter and researchers at the Society for Protection of Turtles, in collaboration with the fishing industry in Cyprus. In a “why didn’t we think of this before?” innovation, these people developed and are testing a device called a “Netlight” that is attached to the net’s lines and shines a broad beam of light on the net to warn turtles about the imminent disaster.
The results of testing in Cyprus are very promising. The accidental catch of sea turtles dropped by more than 40% with the Netlight, according to a report by the scientists in the journal Fisheries Research, and there have been reduced catches of other endangered and nontarget species as well.
The Netlight is simple and affordable for small-scale fishermen, the type that most often run into turtles, as it is easily attached to the gear and is powered by two AA batteries. It is, therefore, a promising investment in marine ecology and in small-scale fishermen’s livelihoods.