Here's a good thought for the day – a relatively simple innovation that makes a difference:
"LED lights can save more than energy. A first-of-its kind study found that when attached to fishing nets, they dramatically reduce the incidental killing of sharks and other top predators that help keep marine ecosystems healthy and seafood on dinner plates."
The problem:
"Global shark populations have plummeted 71% since 1970, largely due to overfishing and the inadvertent capture of the species in fishing nets."
An extremely simple, yet effective, solution:
"The biomass of this 'bycatch' of sharks and rays, however, fell 95% when researchers placed green LED lights on more than 16,000 feet of nets off Mexico's Pacific coast."
Moreover:
"The researchers from the United States and Mexico found that overall bycatch declined 63% compared to control nets that were not lighted. That included a 51% drop in the killing of endangered loggerhead turtles and an 81% drop in the capture of giant Humboldt squid, another top predator. That meant that fishers improved their productivity as they spent 57% less time untangling unwanted species from their nets, according to the researchers."
But, one frustrating reason why this effective solution will probably not be widely adopted:
"[The] fishers in Mexico embraced the LEDs as the drop in bycatch allowed them to return to port faster and more profitably sell their catch as it was fresher. Still, obstacles to the widespread deployment of the lights remain. Each LED costs about $7 and runs on batteries that must be frequently replaced by fishers."
Some hope:
"[The researchers] have developed a solar-powered LED that can operate for a week on an hour of sunlight and is currently being tested in Mexico."
And, future research that is currently being planned:
"'There are critical questions that need to be answered — namely what wavelengths of light work best and how do different species respond to different wavelengths,' … 'Some are attracted to light, others are repelled by light — hence this could cause complications in some mixed species fisheries.'"
Hope you have a good weekend
David
David Chandler
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How the Fishing Industry Can Save Sharks and Seafood with LED Lights
By Todd Woody
January 25, 2022
Bloomberg Businessweek
