Study reveals LED lights on commercial fishing nets can save turtles, dolphins

A new research study by University of Exeter and Peruvian conservation organisation ProDelphinus revealed that placing LED lights on fishing nets may reduce chances of dolphins and sea turtles getting caught by accident.

LED lights along top of floating gillnets cut accidental "bycatch" of sea turtles by more than 70 percent, and that of small cetaceans (including dolphins and porpoises) by more than 66 percent.

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study looked at small fishing vessels operating from three Peruvian ports in a period between 2015 and 2018 and found lights did t reduce amount of fish caught from 'target species' but drastically reduced 'accidental bycatch' rates for dolphins and sea turtles. results of study were published in journal Biological Conservation.

"Gillnet fisheries often have high bycatch rates of threatened marine species such as sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and seabirds," said le author Alessandra Bielli, who carried out analyses as part of her master’s research at Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

He furr ded that commercial fishing can le to a sharp decline in populations of se n-target species. However, few solutions to reduce gillnet bycatches have been developed so far. Sensory cues -- in this case LED lights -- are one way n-target species may be alerted against presence of fishing gear in water.

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Bycatch of sea turtles

researchers placed lights every 10m along float line of 864 gillnets, pairing each with an unlit net to compare results.

" dramatic reduction in bycatch of sea turtles and cetaceans in illuminated nets shows how this simple, relatively low-cost technique could help se species and allow fishers to fish more sustainably. Given success we have h, we hope or fisheries with bycatch problems will also try illuminating ir fishing nets," said Exeter Ph.D. gruate Dr. Jeffrey Mangel, of Peruvian NGO ProDelphinus.

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study found that most of turtle caught were green turtles -- comprising of 86%, along with loggerhe and olive ridley turtles. Among small cetaceans captured, 47% were long-beaked common dolphins, 26% were dusky dolphins and 24% were Burmeister's porpoises.

"This work has furr shown usefulness of lights on nets to save wildlife. We w need lights that are ever more robust and affordable," said Professor Brendan Godley, of University of Exeter.

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(With ANI Inputs)