WWF launches competition to reduce marine bycatch
Posted: 30 March 2005
WF-US, together with partner organisations, is sponsoring an international fishing gear competition to reduce marine bycatch.
The International Smart Gear Competition is aimed at encouraging fishermen, scientists, and academics to come up with innovative fishing gear to reverse the decline of vulnerable marine species — including sea turtles, dolphins, and whales — accidentally caught in nets and other fishing devices.
“We have entries from 16 countries, representing people from a wide range of backgrounds," said Karen Baragona, deputy director of the
WWF-US Species Conservation Program.
"Many of the entries are from fishermen, which isn't surprising considering they have produced so many of the bycatch solutions that are already out there.”
Some of the entries include: glow-in-the-dark ropes that may protect whales in Atlantic waters; rotating drums made in Mississippi that presumes the natural tendency of fish to follow a moving pattern; seabird-proof, "hidden" bait for long-line fishing vessels designed by Dutch inventors; and a simple 3-inch bamboo ring designed to keep dugongs from entering Philippine fishing nets
“This kind of participation, from every continent, was exactly what we were looking for when we launched the competition," Baragona said.
"Accidental bycatch is a global problem and it will take a multi-national collaboration to defeat it.”
The grand prize winner — to be chosen from a panel of 15 international judges — will receive an award of US$25,000.
Two runners-up will be selected and awarded prizes of US$5,000 each.
Winners will be announced on March 9th in Washington, DC.
The winning entry will receive assistance from WWF to make the idea commercially available.
Posted by Editor Offshore Arabia Magazine
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