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Corporate solutions

A poor haul of small tuna and lots of bycatch, mostly rainbow runners, many gilled in the net

A poor haul of small tuna and lots of bycatch - mostly rainbow runners gilled in the net. Click image to enlarge.

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Bycatch makes up about one quarter of all the fish caught globally. This bycatch is usually tossed back into the ocean dead. This wasteful practise must be stopped.

There are a few ways to lessen the number of species killed as bycatch.

Develop better gear

Better gear can help select target species more efficiently. Various technical fixes have already been developed to reduce bycatch. These fixes include:
  • Pingers - small sound-emitting and dolphin-deterring devices that are attached to fishing nets
  • Escape hatches -  a widely spaced metal grid that forces the cetacean up and out of the net.
Although these devices may have a role to play, they cannot address the whole problem. The devices also need continual monitoring to check how well they work and to assess any potential negative effects they may have.

Reduce fishing

While developing more selective gear will help, the only long term solution is to reduce global commercial fishing.

Sustainable fishing practices must also be employed. This can be done by managing targeted and non-targeted species properly.