Preliminary field studies were carried out on a potentially cetacean-friendly acoustic deterrent system for seals (played using underwater loudspeakers). The “smart seal deterrent signal” produces a startle response in seals rather than an aversion to a very loud noise, and is transmitted at a sound level which is not harmful to seals, even at very close distances. There was some evidence that the acoustic deterrent was effective at deterring gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) from fishing operations, although there was a low seal interaction rate regardless of whether the device was on or not. 

The study combined fisher questionnaires, acoustic monitoring, and participatory experiments to investigate the occurrence of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) in the gillnet fisheries of Northern Cyprus. Dolphins were present in fishing grounds throughout the year, and were detected at 28% of net sets. Net damage was six times greater when dolphins were present during sets. Use of an acoustic pinger (AQUAmark 200, 5-160kHz) was tested, but had no significant effect on dolphin presence. 

This study developed fishing traps made with plastic that included adjustable escape gaps for the release of undersized fishes. The unique improved selective fishing traps operate in shallow water of 1-2 meters depth. Traps are set against the flow of water current to aid movement of fishes into the traps. The average catch per month of matured fishes of table sizes caught by the invention is approximately 61% compared with approximately 23% fishes usually caught by the traditional traps.

Square mesh panels (SMPs) have been proposed as a bycatch reduction measure that can increase the escape of non-target fish species without significantly changing the economic value of the catch. However, previous studies have found that SMPs do not significantly increase non-target fish escapes because there is a low probability of fish making contact with the panel.This study aimed to determine whether i) adding white LED lights at different positions of the SMP, ii) changing the size of the SMP, and iii) changing the position of the SMP in the trawl improved the release efficiency of a square mesh panel (SMP) installed at the top panel of the extension piece of the trawl. The study focused on reducing catch of undersized hake (Merluccius merluccius), a main target species for the Basque multispecies trawl fishery in the Bay of Biscay, and blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), which is considered a “choke” species in the fishery (one with a low quota). The position of LED lights did not significantly affect the SMP’s release efficiency for any species. However, increasing panel size increased escapes of blue whiting, and placing the SMP in the lower net panel increased escapes of hake. These species-specific results highlight the challenge of simultaneously improving the selective properties of gear for species with different behavior, especially in mixed demersal fisheries.