Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Authors
Rouxel, Y., Arnardóttir, H., and Oppel, S.
Year
Journal/Publisher Name
Royal Society Open Science
Volume (Issue #)
10
Page #s
13
Contact information
Yann Rouxel, BirdLife International Marine Program, UK-yann.rouxel@rspb.org.uk
Summary

This study experimented with the use of Looming-Eye Buoys (LEBs) attached to gillnets in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery to reduce seabird bycatch, and experiments took place in spring 2022. LEBs are intended to be a visual deterrent that mimics a predator's eyes. The LEBs did not have a significant impact on target catch or bycatch, but results suggest a strong correlation between seabird bycatch and depth; the authors estimate that limiting fishing to waters below 50m deep could save between 5000 and 9300 seabirds every year.

Link
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.230783

Field Studies

Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Study Type
Field study in the wild
Location
Húnaflói Bay, northern Iceland
Target catch
Icelandic lumpfish
Effect on bycatch species
no effect
Effect on target catch
No effect, but a strong correlation between bycatch rates and net depth was observed, suggesting that fishing below 50m only would highly reduce seabird bycatch
Bycatch species
Seabirds
Reduction technique
Reflective/colored buoys
Fishing Gear
Gillnets