Janie Reavis, Arizona State University — USA (2019)

©Janie Reavis

Bycatch is a global threat to sea turtles and other marine species, and many efforts have been dedicated to mitigating bycatch by industrial-scale fisheries. Less attention has been focused on smaller-scale fisheries, despite the fact that many small scale fisheries have high rates of bycatch. Janie Reavis and collaborators at Arizona State University are researching novel bycatch reduction technologies (BRTs) for small-scale fisheries, with the aim to decrease bycatch rates without negatively impacting fisheries, which is especially important in developing areas. Janie will use a 2019 SWOT grant to test and develop the efficacy of new BRTs that use sensory cues to discourage turtles from interacting with fishing gear. Her results will be applicable to small scale net fisheries in Baja California, Mexico and potentially elsewhere.