Hookpod funding success

The Kickstarter campaign had a goal of £100,000, but actually achieved over its target, with £113,555 being pledged.

The funding has been awarded and means that 20,000 Hookpods can now be produced for commercial sea trials in fisheries in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. These countries have been selected because they are leaders in setting the regulations to prevent bird bycatch and in some cases because they are hotspots where thousands of birds are killed each year. Adoption in these countries could lead the way for other regions to adopt the technology.

The Hookpod encloses the point and barb of the hook as it enters the water, making it impossible for birds to become hooked. The pod has an air pressure mechanism which opens on reaching fishing depth and the baited hook is released to begin fishing.

The Hookpod also has a LED built into the casing, which means that there is no need for chemical lightsticks. Millions of these are used each year and discarded at sea when used. With Hookpod, there is no need for fishermen to buy lightsticks, or discard them at sea, which means they save money and is great news for the oceans.