Today’s Solutions: March 28, 2024

Fishing boats off the coast of Namibia unintentionally kill thousands of seabirds a year. The problem lies with the long fishing lines that industrial fleets use to lure fish, which are fitted with thousands of baited hooks.

When the birds try to snatch away the bait, they can become tangled in the lines and die.

In an effort to spare the lives of thousands of birds, Namibian boats have found that a simple and cheap change of equipment does the trick. According to a study in the Biological Conservation journal, what the fishermen are doing is fitting pieces of red or yellow hosepipe, each a few meters long, to separate the lines being towed behind the boats.

Apparently, the colored lines scare away the birds and prevent great numbers of deaths. In fact, while an estimated 22,000 were accidentally killed by long-line fishing gear in 2009, the new technique caused only an estimated 215 to die in 2018.

“In many other areas where I work where we lose threatened species, it would be unheard of to reduce mortality by 90% over a decade,” said co-author Steffen Oppel at the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science in Cambridge. 

Namibia’s coastline is abundant with marine life and a crucial feeding ground for seabirds. The simple change in equipment is said to have benefited species such as Atlantic Yellow-nosed albatrosses and White-chinned petrels.

“The fact that we have done something about it … that gives me a great sense of joy and achievement,” said Titus Shaanika, the report’s co-author.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Rowing against the current: Botswana’s women safari guides inspire and empower

In the calm of Botswana's Okavango Delta, where the morning sun creates a golden glow on the water's surface, an amazing metamorphosis is occurring. ...

Read More

The future of healing: 3D printing skin directly onto open wounds

Pennsylvania State University researchers achieved a major medical science breakthrough by being the first team ever to 3D print real human skin tissue directly ...

Read More

These solar-powered barges can scoop up 50 tons of plastic from rivers each day

While removing the plastic waste that currently contaminates the ocean today will be crucial for protecting marine ecosystems, it is arguably more important that ...

Read More

A bold step towards climate action and job creation: The American Climate Corps

The White House announced the creation of the American Climate Corps, a breakthrough program that will transform the climate action landscape. This ambitious project ...

Read More