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Buoys with looming eyes deter seaducks and could potentially reduce seabird bycatch in gillnets

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Crawford, Rory 
Kibel, Pete 

Abstract

Bycatch of seabirds in gillnet fisheries is a global conservation issue with an estimated 400 000 seabirds killed each year. To date, no underwater deterrents trialled have consistently reduced seabird bycatch across operational fisheries. Using a combination of insights from land-based strategies, seabirds' diving behaviours and their cognitive abilities, we developed a floating device exploring the effect of large eyespots and looming movement to prevent vulnerable seabirds from diving into gillnets. Here, we tested whether this novel above-water device called ‘Looming eyes buoy' (LEB) would consistently deter vulnerable seaducks from a focal area. We counted the number of birds present in areas with and without LEBs in a controlled experimental setting. We show that long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis abundance declined by approximately 20–30% within a 50 m radius of the LEB and that the presence of LEBs was the most important variable explaining this decline. We found no evidence for a memory effect on long-tailed ducks but found some habituation to the LEB within the time frame of the project (62 days). While further research is needed, our preliminary trials indicate that above-water visual devices could potentially contribute to reduce seabird bycatch if appropriately deployed in coordination with other management measures.

Description

Funder: The Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation


Funder: National Geographic Society; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100006363


Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268

Keywords

Organismal and evolutionary biology, Research articles, gillnet, bycatch, seabirds, deterrent, mitigation measures, marine conservation

Journal Title

Royal Society Open Science

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2054-5703

Volume Title

8

Publisher

The Royal Society