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Innovative Solutions to Combat Bycatch and Protect Marine Biodiversity

Bycatch poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity, but innovative solutions can change that. TEDs, sonar pingers, and smarter fishing gear are key to reducing bycatch. The "Smart Gear" competition encourages collaboration between scientists, industry, and governments to inspire practical, cost-effective solutions. Open to global participants, the competition has revealed remarkable entries that effectively reduce bycatch while maintaining target catch. With over a decade of success and winners now in use, we can tackle bycatch while ensuring sustainable fishing practices for our oceans.

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Innovative Solutions to Combat Bycatch and Protect Marine Biodiversity

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  1. Inspiring Innovation by Capitalizing Creativity

  2. Bycatch: A Critical Threat To Marine Biodiversity 2

  3. © WWF-Canon / Hélène PETIT

  4. Bycatch is largely avoidable

  5. TEDs Sonar pingers Circle Hooks “Smarter,” more selective fishing

  6. Concept for Smart Gear competition arose during a WWF workshop designed to tackle issue of cetacean bycatch • Decided to use the concept to address wider issue of overall bycatch • Use competition to stimulate innovative thinking and demonstrate problem is solvable • Foster collaboration between science, industry and government • Use cash prizes as major incentive to attract entries on global basis.

  7. To inspire innovative, practical, cost-effective ideas that allow fishermen to fish “smarter” – to better target their intended catch while reducing bycatch. Open to all: fishermen, professional gear manufacturers, teachers, students, engineers, scientists and backyard inventors. 2005: 50 entries from 16 countries 2006: 83 entries from 26 countries 2007: 70 entries from 22 countries 2009: 71 entries from 27 countries

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  9. Partners

  10. 2009 Judges Workshop

  11. Judging Criteria • Effectively reduces bycatch • Innovative • Practical • Cost-effective • Maintains target catch • Conservation impact

  12. 2007 Grand Prize Winner The EliminatorLaura Skrobe, Dave Beutel, Jim O’Grady, Philip Ruhle Sr., Philip Ruhle Jr., Jon Knight. USA 12

  13. Advancing the Winning Ideas • All required trials completed. Fulfilled NOAA protocol for adoption. • Regulated for commercial use in August 2008, and now being used in northeastern U.S. fisheries. • More than a dozen now being used in the U.S. catching hundreds of thousands of pounds of haddock with little bycatch. Impetus is shift to catch shares. • Trials in the U.K. • Mandated as part of cod bycatch reduction measure in E.U.

  14. 2007 Runner-Up Prize Winner Nested Cylinder Bycatch Reduction Device Glenn Parsons, USA

  15. Advancing the Winning Ideas • WWF working with Ocean Conservancy and NOAA Fisheries to assist with certification trials for Gulf of Mexico. • Trials to be conducted in mid 2010 • Exploring other fisheries who could benefit from this device.

  16. 2009 Grand Prize Winner The Underwater Baited HookIan Carlyle, Phillip Ashworth, Peter Ashworth Australia 16

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  18. Advancing the Winning Ideas • Mechanical trials conducted in Jan/Feb 2010 off Australia • Comparison trials planned for Uruguay, August 2010.

  19. 2009 Runner-Up Prize Winner The Batwing Otter BoardDavid Sterling Australia

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  21. Advancing the Winning Ideas • Trials planned in U.S. waters in late 2010. Compare bottom impact, net spread and fuel efficiency vs standard doors presently being used. • Results to be presented at Energy Use In Fisheries Symposium in November. • Flume tank testing to maximize potential of design to be undertaken in 2011.

  22. 2009 Runner-Up Prize Winner The HovercranInstitute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Belgium 22

  23. Advancing the Winning Ideas • WWF providing funding to assist with trials and advancement of devices • Work with winning ideas to get them to the stage where they can be used in commercial industry to address bycatch issues they were designed for. • Explore other fisheries who could benefit from these devices or ideas.

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