What is bycatch?
Bycatch is when fishing nets catch animals by accident. Sea turtles, sharks, rays and dolphins get tangled, and most drown before the net comes up.
Where bycatch happens
Bycatch happens in every ocean. The brightest spots on this 2014 map are where turtle, seabird and marine mammal bycatch overlap.
Sea turtle bycatch
Sea turtles need air, so a turtle caught in a gillnet can drown. In Peru, green lights cut turtle bycatch by 64% with no drop in catch, at about $2 a light.
Shark and ray bycatch
Many shark and ray species are already threatened. In Mexico, gillnets with green lights caught 95% fewer sharks, skates and rays, and the catch kept its value.
Dolphin and porpoise bycatch
At least 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die as bycatch every year (International Whaling Commission). Lights aren't proven for dolphins yet, so we don't claim it.
Ghost nets vs bycatch
Ghost nets are lost nets that keep catching animals for years. As long as a net drifts, the waves keep powering NOCATCH.
How to reduce bycatch
Closed areas, new gear and observers help, but cost fishers time or money. Lit nets cut bycatch without cutting the catch, so we're building a green light that clips onto gillnets and charges from the waves.
Bycatch and the law
In the EU, only boats of 15 m or more must monitor dolphin bycatch, and most small gillnet boats are shorter. We're asking for rules that cover them and back lit nets.