Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
If you would like to send us an article, contact Margaret Stacey
   


First developed in the 1970s, the turtle excluder device or TED allows captured sea turtles to escape when caught in a net (Photo:NOAA)

WWF Announces 2011 International Smart Gear Design Competition to Reduce Fisheries Bycatch

  (UNITED STATES, 3/9/2011)

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has announced the launch of the 2011 International Smart Gear Competition, to find innovative ways to reduce the amount of fisheries bycatch. Open to anyone from fisherman, backyard inventors and students, the competition will be open from March 1 to August 31, 2011.

Dolphins, marine turtles, seabirds, sharks, juvenile fish, fish with little commercial value, corals, starfish - billions of unwanted animals are caught every year by fishing boats then discarded dead or dying back into the ocean (Photo: WWF)

“WWF’s goal with the Smart Gear competition is to inspire innovative ideas for environmentally-friendly fishing gear,” stated WWF VP of Fisheries Bill Fox. “In addition to fishermen losing millions of dollars each year due to bycatch, many other species, sometimes endangered marine life are unintentionally and needlessly killed by antiquated fishing gear, and it is jeopardizing their survival. This competition identifies real-world fishing solutions that allow fishermen to fish smarter while helping to maintain ocean health.”

The 2009 International Smart Gear Competition awarded Dr. David Sterling a runner-up prize of USD 10,000 for developing the CP2 Batwing otter board, a device that reduces trawling’s impact on the seabed (Photos: David Sterling)

The 2011 International Smart Gear Competition is offering a grand prize of USD 30,000 and two USD10,000 runner-up prizes. Additionally, in partnership with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), the competition is offering a USD 7,500 special tuna prize that will be awarded to the idea that will reduce the amount of bycatch found in tuna fisheries. Tuna sustainability is the top WWF global fisheries conservation priority.

“The real work starts the day after the prizes are awarded” said Fox. “WWF then works with each of the winning ideas to bring them to life and implemented in fisheries around the world.”

Runner-up 2005 prize winner 1, Dr Norm Holy (Photo: WWF/Suzanne Taylor) and, scientists of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, India runner-up prize winners 2 in 2005 (Photo: Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin)

Since its launch in 2004, the Smart Gear competition has grown more competitive with the winning entries gaining traction with many fisheries around the world. Flexi Grids, which won in 2006, are now mandatory in blue whiting fisheries in the Faroe Islands, and are used in an increasing number of countries all over the world. A winning idea from 2007, a net designed to reduce the bycatch of cod, “The Eliminator” is now being used by more than a dozen fishermen in the north-eastern United States haddock fishery, as well as being adopted by the European Union as a mandatory measure in cod bycatch reduction under certain conditions. Vessels throughout the United Kingdom are also using a modified version of the net.

The Eliminator was the winner of the 2007 Grand Prize, in the photograph members of the winning team use a scale model to demonstrate the way it works (Photo: Scott Dickerson)

The International Smart Gear Competition has demonstrated that conservation and industry can successfully work together to identify and eventually implement solutions to bycatch issues in different types of fisheries around the world.

Bycatch has been identified as an issue of critical ocean conservation and resource management concern. Victims include over 300,000 small whales, dolphins, and porpoises that die from entanglement in fishing nets each year, making bycatch the single largest cause of mortality for small cetaceans and pushing several species to the verge of extinction.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Fondation Segré, ISSF, and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans are supporting the 2011 competition.

About WWF's Smart Gear International Competition

By-catch of Whale shark
(Photo: WWF/HélènePetit)

WWF's International Smart Gear Competition, first held in 2005, brings together the fishing industry, research institutes, universities, and government, to inspire and reward practical, innovative fishing gear designs that reduce bycatch - the accidental catch and related deaths of sea turtles, birds, marine mammals, cetaceans and non-target fish species in fishing gear such as longlines and nets.

About World Wildlife Fund

World Wildlife Fund is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for the past 50 years. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change.

Source: WWF

Related News 

Margaret E.L. Stacey
Editor Companies and Products
[email protected]
www.seafood.media


Information of the company:
Address: World Wildlife Fund, Inc., 171 Forest Ave
City: Palo Alto
State/ZIP: California (94301)
Country: United States
Phone: +1 202 861 8362
E-Mail: [email protected]
More about:


Location:

View Larger Map



 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE ARTICLES
Wärtsilä’s Interim Report January–September 2024
Viet Uc Seafood: Raising the Standard for Vietnamese Shrimp
The Seafood Council launches the 'Godfisk' campaign with Haaland
Seafood New Zealand: 'Fisheries And Aquaculture – So Much In Common'
High Liner Foods Opens the Market in Celebration of their 125th Anniversary
From Expansion to Sustainability: Companies of Schwarz Group at Expo Real 2024
Sushiro is celebrating its 41st year by being 'straight to sushi!'
This year's first 'Saba Nouveau' mackerel is launched again in Japan
Falkland celebrates Patagonian Toothfish Month
Kura Sushi's largest store ever to open at the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo!
Nissui's new ship 'Daihachi Koyo Maru' for Tokai Fisheries
ACEL Group enters into a historic double contract with Artec Aqua
China launches 1st wind power-fish to withstand typhoons
Türkiye in the Crosshairs
The Chinese organization that operates squid in South America has a new transport
Imenco Unveils New Multi-Camera Solution for Fish Welfare
DMEGC Solar supplies 940MW of modules for the Aquaculture-PV project
Cooke USA celebrates 20 years in Maine
The Laxey salmon grow-out project on track
The future solution for good biosecurity in aquaculture
More Articles...

Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
VARPE Releases Strategic Report on Russian Fish Export Markets
Russia Fed. The global fish market is undergoing significant adjustments, according to German Zverev, President of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Industrialists (VARPE). The association has conducted an ...
FAO Introduces Cutting-Edge Technologies to Enhance Resilience in Sri Lanka's Fisheries with Norwegian Funding
Sri Lanka With support from the Norwegian government, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched an initiative to bolster resilience and sustainability in Sri Lanka’s fis...
OPINION: Chinese fishing threatens Peru’s maritime sovereignty
Peru The Peruvian navy has officially placed itself at the feet of China's commercial interests. Giant squid was once an abundant marine resource and a cheap source of protein in Peru. The story is long, ...
Expectations for the Start of the Shrimp Fishery in the Waters of the Province of Chubut
Argentina Yesterday, the survey to monitor the status of the shrimp resource in Chubut waters began, with a commercial fleet of twenty vessels: 16 from the yellow fleet and 4 artisanal vessels.   This ...
 

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2024 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER