World Wildlife Fund looks for new bycatch reduction designs

The World Wildlife Fund is looking for fishermen who may have the next great gear design to reduce bycatch and they are willing to pay for the best ideas. The group is currently holding its Smartgear competition for the best designs. The winning entry will get a grand prize of $30,000; there are also two runner-up prizes of $10,000. Bycatch occurs when fishermen catch unwanted fish species or wildlife along with their intended catch. Adaptations to fishing gear can reduce bycatch by allowing non-target species to escape from gear or avoid being captured. The World Wildlife Fund says some of the best bycatch reduction designs in the past have come from commercial fishermen who observe bycatch problems first-hand. Previous Smart Gear Competitions have resulted in gear that minimizes bycatch of cod and flounder in the Northeast, juvenile red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, and seabird and harbor porpoise in fisheries around the world. The Smartgear competition is accepting entries until June 30. For more information or to submit a gear design entry, visit http://www.smartgear.org.