Test of light emitting diodes (LED) as a possible bycatch mitigation measure in a gillnet fishery

Substantial seabird bycatch occurs in North Atlantic lumpfish fisheries, potentially impacting seabird populations and raising concerns about the fisheries’ sustainability. Despite increased efforts to address this issue, existing approaches have yielded inconclusive and mixed results. In this study, we explored an alternative approach by comparing bycatch levels between conventional gillnets and LED-illuminated gillnets during the 2023 Greenland lumpfish fishing season. Results indicated that LED-illuminated nets showed almost no difference in bycatch compared to no-LED nets for the three main bird species (common eider, king eider, and long-tailed duck), with no statistically significant differences observed. Additionally, the LED-illuminated nets exhibited a slightly lower, but insignificant, catch rate of the targeted female lumpfish. In conclusion, our findings suggest that using LED as a bird deterrent in this fishery is not an optimal solution to bycatch mitigation.