It’s lowkey tragic, but every year about 95,000 diving birds like razorbills and guillemots accidentally get snagged in fishing nets off European coasts. Real talk, the vibes are off for these populations, but a new two-year study out of Cornwall suggests we might finally have a fix.
How it works
Scientists from the University of Exeter teamed up with ten Cornish fishers, the RSPB, and a company called Fishtek Marine to test out some, quite frankly, genius deterrents. They deployed two main tools: bird-shaped kites and something called a "looming-eyes buoy" (LEB). The LEB is basically a floating scarecrow with a spinning head and massive eyes designed to creep birds out enough to keep them away from the nets.
Researchers fitted cameras to the boats to watch how the birds reacted to the gear. The results? Total W. Using the LEBs cut the chance of bycatch by 59%, while the kites slashed it by 71%. The study, published in Conservation Letters, also found that most of these accidental catches happen in the winter, which helps fishers know exactly when to level up their protection efforts.
Why it matters
As lead researcher Tom Horton put it, this is some of the strongest evidence we've got that practical solutions can actually work. It’s a huge milestone because it proves we can protect vulnerable seabird populations without making life harder for fishers at sea. It’s giving sustainable energy, and we love to see it.
