Solar-Powered Lights Offer Practical Fix for Sea Turtle Bycatch
A new gear innovation developed through collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) researchers and coastal gillnet fishers in Mexico is showing strong promise for reducing sea turtle bycatch -- without cutting into fishing success, according to researchers.
In field tests in the Gulf of California, solar-powered illuminated buoys reduced sea turtle entanglements by 63% compared to unlit nets, according to a new study published in Conservation Letters. Catch rates of target species, including yellowtail, were unaffected or increased.
“The results were pretty exciting,” ASU Marine Biologist Jesse Senko...
To Read Full Story Login Below.