Above Water Deterrents

An estimated 400,000 seabirds are caught each year globally in set nets, and bycatch has been identified as the second most important threat to seabirds after climate change. However, reducing seabird bycatch in gillnets is one of the most challenging fisheries bycatch issues to solve. Seabirds feed in productive areas of the sea, where fishing also takes place.  

THE IDEA

After developing the Hookpod with Birdlife International, attention turned to whether we could design a deterrent that would work for nets. RSPB scientists provided their expertise on existing deterrent designs and biological characteristics.

TIMELINE

2018

Using knowledge of seabird diving behaviour and visual perception, scientists from the RSPB developed the concept of the Looming Eyes Buoy; a novel bycatch mitigation measure to prevent seabirds from swimming into fishing nets

2019

Collaboration between Fishtek Marine and the RSPB led to the development of the first functional prototype of the Looming Eyes Buoy.

2020

Looming Eyes Buoys were trialled by the RSPB and the Estonian Ornithological Society in Küdema Bay (Estonia), where abundance of Long-tailed ducks declined by 20–30% within a 50 m radius of the devices (Rouxel et al. 2021)

2022

Looming Eye Buoy trialled unsuccessfully by the RSPB and Birdlife Iceland in the lumpfish fishery in Iceland, where it did not lead to reductions in duck and seabird bycatch (Rouxel et al. 2023).

2023

A large scale trial of the Looming Eyes Buoy and a commercial kite in partnership with inshore gillnet fishermen, the RSPB and University Exeter, funded by Defra’s Fishing Industry Science Partnership (FISP) and Equinor. The trial showed that both technologies significantly reduce guillemot and razorbill bycatch in nets.

2025

A new net kite was designed and developed through a partnership with the RSPB and funding from the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change (OWEC) programme. This new kite was tested in limited trials in Cornwall demonstrating that it was as effective as the commercial kite, and easier to deploy and use for fishing. Further developments and improvements are taking place after feedback from fishermen.

AMBITION

We would like to see Above Water Deterrents used in hotspot locations and time periods when set nets are being deployed.  

POTENTIAL IMPACT

We have had some successes and we are confident that we will have a deterrent that can be used by set net fishers with a proven impact on reducing the numbers of seabirds caught in nets, but we are still developing and testing our designs.

FUNDING

Trials in Cornwall were funded by the Defra’s Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) and Equinor

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Research is ongoing to evaluate the effectiveness of our new kite designs. We are working closely with partners in the UK including Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme, RSPB, Equinor, Defra and the Clean Catch programme.