Laser solution to prevent seabird bycatch

This new vessel-based laser device helps to keep the birds at distance from the baited lines, as they feel threatened by the laser and the sound unit. This reduces the chance of being hooked and means that fishermen get more baited hooks in the sea.

Icelandic boat Tjaldur has been testing the SeaBird Saver for some time and test results show that the system works. The Tjaldur is a relatively modern and quite large vessel, modified for and equipped with a longline system designed by Mustad, carrying 40,000 hooks on 16 lines. The targeted fish species was Atlantic cod.

The trial took place in coastal Icelandic fishing grounds around the Snæfellsnes peninsula, where bird predation in longline fisheries is high. The trial consisted of five fishing days and five lines set and hauled in total. Of the five lines, four were used for testing the SeaBird Saver system.

The graph pictured shows the workings of the SeaBird Saver system in the experienced setting conditions. The laser pushes the birds further back from the stern of the ship. The birds were present, but did not interact within dangerous areas around the stern, which is the main objective. The fact that success was achieved with Northern Fulmars (a highly abundant seabird), gives good hope that the system should be successful on albatross species as well.

A few suggestions have been made to take into account when finalising the product as a result of the trials, for example, that there should be no aluminium components in the final model, and the cable should be longer between the laser source and power supply to create a more flexible system that can be activated by the captain from bridge.

The laser unit will be launched in August 2014 and the sound unit will be launched at a later stage.