CASE STUDY

Reducing dolphin bycatch in the Adriatic Sea

Collaborators:

Life Delfi, CNR

Duration:

Jan 2020- Jan 2024

Location

Italy and Croatia (Adriatic Sea)

Objective:

Use LED lights as a visual deterrent to reduce dolphin mortality caused by fishing nets.

GEAR TYPE:

Gillnets, trawl nets

TARGET SPECIES:

N/A

BYCATCH SPECIES:

Bottlenose Dolphin, Striped Dolphin, Common Dolphin

Technology used:

Project Summary:

There is increasing competition between dolphins and fishers in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas due to declining fish stocks. Life Delfi is working with fishing crews to explore how visual deterrents can reduce dolphin mortalities without affecting their livelihoods. They are deploying Pisces LED lights on gillnets and trawl nets to see how coloured light and flashing light effect bycatch rates.

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