Laysan albatross caught on baited hook. Photo credit: NOAA.
Fish, turtles, and marine mammals aren’t the only ones threatened by bycatch. Seabirds, who like to follow fishing vessels for easy meals, are another casualty of the industry. They can get caught in nets and on hooks where they drown. An estimated 300,000 seabirds are killed in longline fisheries every year. A new device aims to eliminate seabird bycatch in longline fisheries by prevent birds from getting hooked in the first place.
Hookpod, developed by biologist Becky Ingham, works by enclosing the point and barb of a hook as it enters the water. Using an air pressure mechanism, the pod opens up when the hook reaches depths that most seabirds can’t so it catches fish, not birds.
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Copyright © 2014 by Marine Science Today, a publication of Marine Science Today LLC.
This invention will become more popular with fishermen when the consumer demands that the fish they eat is caught by fishermen who use the device.
Ask your store or wherever you buy if they were caught using the hookpod then pass up fish that were caught without it. It’ll be the standard soon if you do.
The albatross is a magnificent bird. It’s not too much to ask. Ask for it!