The Bycatch Mitigation Hub

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Circle Hooks

Gear modification

Circle Hooks are modified fishing hooks, in which the pointed end of the hook sits at a right angle to its shank, creating a smaller opening between the two than that of typically-used J hooks.

Decoys

Gear device

Operating much like a scarecrow in a field, decoys are predator-shaped cut outs are placed at regular intervals along gillnets or strung beneath a baited longline, hoping to trigger an innate avoidance response in the bycatch species.

Depredation Mitigation Device

Gear device

DMDs in various ways “protect” or “cage” the hooked target catch, all operating via a mechanism which triggers when a fish is hooked, in order to mitigate the effects of depredation.

Discard & Offal Management

Technique change

Discard and offal management is the safe offloading of waste materials away from hooked lines or hauling operations to reduce risk of attracting seabirds.

Dyed Bait

Gear modification

In theory, dyeing bait blue reduces the bait’s visibility from above, altering the colour and reducing the contrast between the bait and the surrounding water. From below the water, the bait remains visible to target fish.

FAD Design & Management

Gear modification

Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are floating materials, either natural (such as logs) or manmade, which help to attract fish, but can lead to entanglements of sea turtles and sharks.

Hookpod™

Gear device

The Hookpod hook protection device designed to reduce this interaction. The baited hooks are individually loaded into the Hookpod to encase the sharp barb until, at a predetermined depth, the pressure release system releases the hook.

Limit Mainline Length

Gear modification

Limiting the length of the mainline – from which the baited branchlines are attached and extend into the water column – reduces the temporal distribution of baited hooks which, by extension, minimises the risk of bycatch.

Line Shooter

Gear device

Line shooters are designed to mitigate against seabird bycatch by increasing the sink rate of baited hooks. This hydraulically operated device deploys lines off the back of the boat at a faster speed than that of the boat’s forward motion.

Mitigation Options

Circle Hooks

Decoys

Depredation Mitigation Device

Discard & Offal Management

Dyed Bait

FAD Design & Management

Hookpod™

Limit Mainline Length

Line Shooter