Researchers from U.S. and fishers from Mexico’s Gulf of California have developed solar-powered LED buoys that attach to gill nets to help reduce sea turtle bycatch by 63%.The floating devices recharge in sunlight and can operate for over five days without light, addressing cost and waste concerns associated with traditional battery-powered lights and single-use chemical light sticks.Researchers say the green flashing lights may help sea turtles see the nets in dark water.The technology emerged from collaborative workshops between scientists and fishing communities, with commercial production estimated within two to three years through partnership with fishing gear manufacturer Fishtek Marine.
In the waters off Isla el Pardito, where rocky reefs meet mangrove swamps in Mexico’s Gulf of California, marine biologists and veteran fishers are using the power of the sun to protect endangered sea turtles.
This region has some of the highest reported rates of turtles being accidentally caught in fishing nets, a problem known as bycatch that poses one of the biggest threats to marine turtle populations worldwide. So researchers from the U.S. worked with local fishers to attach solar-powered lights, designed as floating buoys, onto gill nets to alert turtles to the presence of the nets.
