Safety nets: Can smarter fishing gear protect marine life and keep fishers afloat?
In the French part of the Bay of Biscay, one of Europe's richest fishing grounds, thousands of dolphins die each year after becoming accidentally entangled in fishing nets.
On average, around a thousand dolphins are found stranded on beaches every winter. But according to the PELAGIS observatory's analyses reported by Bastien Mérigot, coordinator of the DolphinFree project, the total mortality is estimated to be much higher — with 4,500 to 8,500 dolphins caught in fishing gear every year. Many dolphins that suffocate in nets never make it to the shore — they sink unseen, leaving researchers to grapple with incomplete data on the full extent of the problem.
These losses not only undermine marine ecosystems — they also disrupt the livelihoods of fishers who depend on these waters. For the second winter in a row, authorities have imposed a month-long closure of fisheries to reduce the risks to dolphins. In the meantime, several European research projects are looking for innovative technological solutions that can protect marine life without halting fishing altogether.
Technology that speaks to dolphins
To address the Bay of Biscay crisis, the DolphinFree project, funded by the European Union and the fishing sector association 'France Filière Pêche', is pioneering a new approach: an acoustic beacon for fishing nets, designed to integrate with dolphins' natural sonar-based communication. This device emits signals that mimic the echo patterns dolphins rely on to navigate their surroundings. By creating an acoustic image of danger — a recorded echo of a fishing net with a dead entangled dolphin — the beacon prompts dolphins to avoid the area.
Initial tests conducted by the scientists show promising results. Dolphins react to the beacon's signal by steering clear of the area in which the sound is emitted. However, for this technology to become officially adopted, it must prove effective in large-scale trials onboard professional fishing vessels.
Fishers suggest the beacon devices need to be scaled down to better fit through fishing gear machinery. The devices must also remain affordable for fishers who operate with nets stretching tens of kilometres long. The beacons also require regular maintenance and recharging, which adds to the workload of already overstretched crews.
The ongoing trials of DolphinFree and another electronic solution shortlisted by the French government will run throughout 2026 on more than 200 fishing vessels, with the aim to refine the technology and ensure it meets the needs of fishers while delivering a target of 30-40% reduction in dolphin deaths — and hopefully preventing future winter fishery closures.
Bycatch and trawl nets: a global issue
Dolphins are not the only victims of unintended capture in fisheries. Globally, an estimated 40% of all fish catches consist of bycatch — marine species captured unintentionally. These include juvenile or protected fish and other species — such as turtles and seabirds. Often, these animals are simply thrown back into the sea, many of them dead or dying, which contributes to vast amounts of waste and unnecessary ecological harm.
Trawl nets, used extensively in commercial fishing, are particularly problematic. These large, moving nets sweep up everything in their path, trapping species indiscriminately. Fishing fleets face growing scrutiny for the environmental impact of their practices, with increasing demand for more selective fishing methods.
An AI-powered trawl net
To tackle the issue of bycatch at its source, the Marine Beacon project, another EU-funded initiative, is developing an AI-powered smart trawl net. It's based on the 'Game of Trawl' concept created at the IFREMER institute in Lorient, France.
Unlike traditional nets, the smart trawl uses underwater cameras and machine-learning algorithms to identify and sort the catch in real-time. The system can distinguish between target species and non-target marine life, triggering an automatic escape route for unwanted catches. According to marine biologist Robin Faillettaz, who leads the work at IFREMER, such 'active selectivity' can offer a 'paradigm shift' in how fishing operations are conducted.
In lab tests, the smart trawl net has demonstrated its ability to identify fish species on a video recording and control the trap door designed to let the catch out or keep it in the net. The next challenge is adapting this technology for use on large commercial vessels. Engineers must ensure the system is robust enough to withstand harsh ocean conditions, compact and lightweight enough to avoid hampering operations, and user-friendly so that fishers can integrate it seamlessly into their daily routines. The goal is for the equipment to be deployable within minutes and reliable for use in demanding environments.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
8 hours ago
- Euronews
'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth, the author of "The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said on Monday. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early on Monday at the age of 86 surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent and a novelist. "The Day of the Jackal," published in 1971, propelled him to global fame. The political thriller about a professional assassin was made into a film in 1973 and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. He wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," and "The Fist of God" that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. The disparity of sperm donor laws in Europe has been called into question after a Danish sperm donor with an inherited cancer mutation is said to have helped conceive at least 67 children across Europe, mostly in Belgium. The European Sperm Bank (ESB) allegedly used gametes from a Danish donor who unknowingly carried a rare variation of the TP53 gene that increases the risk of early cancer. Out of the 67 children he helped to conceive, 23 of them are carriers of the variant, 10 of whom have developed cancer. The case was revealed at the end of May by Dr. Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital, at a meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan. "It's a syndrome called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which will give rise to multiple cancers with a very broad spectrum, so children who are carriers of this variant need to be monitored very closely," the specialist in hereditary predispositions to cancer told Euronews. Of the 10 children who have developed a form of cancer, the doctor counts four haemopathies, four brain tumours and two types of sarcoma that affect the muscles. The case has highlighted the shortcomings of sperm donation policies across Europe. While most European countries limit the number of children fathered by a single donor, or the number of families that can be helped by a single donor, there is no limit at international or European level. The conditions around anonymity also vary from country to country. "We will end up with an abnormal spread of a genetic pathology, because the sperm bank involved in this case has set a limit of 75 families from the donor. Other sperm banks have not set a limit," explained Kasper. Although donors are subject to medical examinations and genetic tests, "there is no perfect pre-selection," explained Ayo Wahlberg, researcher and a member of the Danish Council on Ethics. "Technology is developing so fast. Genetic testing technologies and their costs are falling so fast that, if we compare 10 or 15 years ago and today in terms of recruitment and the types of genetic tests that can be carried out as part of the screening process, a lot has changed," the professor explained. The rules governing sperm donation vary from one European country to another. The maximum number of children from a single donor varies from 15 in Germany to one in Cyprus. Other countries prefer to limit the number of families that can use the same donor to give them the opportunity to have brothers and sisters. For example, the same donor can help 12 families in Denmark and six families in Sweden or Belgium. In addition, donations are kept anonymous in countries such as France and Greece. In other member states such as Austria, the person born of a gamete donation may have access to the identity of his or her parent. In Germany and Bulgaria, donations may or may not be anonymous, depending on the circumstances. In the Netherlands, the process is not anonymous. Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian National Medical Ethics Councils raised concerns over a lack of regulation at an international and European level, claiming it increases the risk of the spread of genetic diseases and consanguinity. "The risk that a genetic disease will unknowingly spread much more widely (with a large number of offspring) than if the number (of offspring) had been smaller," Wahlberg said. "The first step is therefore to establish or introduce a limit of families per donor. The second step is to create a national register. And the third step is of course to have a European register based on the national registers," Sven-Erik Söder, President of the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, told Euronews. In the age of social media and thorough DNA testing, donor anonymity can no longer be 100% guaranteed, which some have argued could put off people from donating. When asked if the introduction of regulations could lead to a shortage of sperm donations, Söder said the solution is not the absence of restrictions, but instead encourage people to donate.
Euronews
9 hours ago
- Euronews
Sperm donation policies in Europe questioned after cancer scare
The disparity of sperm donor laws in Europe has been called into question after a Danish sperm donor with an inherited cancer mutation is said to have helped conceive at least 67 children across Europe, mostly in Belgium. The European Sperm Bank (ESB) allegedly used gametes from a Danish donor who unknowingly carried a rare variation of the TP53 gene that increases the risk of early cancer. Out of the 67 children he helped to conceive, 23 of them are carriers of the variant, 10 of whom have developed cancer. The case was revealed at the end of May by Dr. Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital, at a meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics in Milan. "It's a syndrome called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which will give rise to multiple cancers with a very broad spectrum, so children who are carriers of this variant need to be monitored very closely," the specialist in hereditary predispositions to cancer told Euronews. Of the 10 children who have developed a form of cancer, the doctor counts four haemopathies, four brain tumours and two types of sarcoma that affect the muscles. The case has highlighted the shortcomings of sperm donation policies across Europe. While most European countries limit the number of children fathered by a single donor, or the number of families that can be helped by a single donor, there is no limit at international or European level. The conditions around anonymity also vary from country to country. "We will end up with an abnormal spread of a genetic pathology, because the sperm bank involved in this case has set a limit of 75 families from the donor. Other sperm banks have not set a limit," explained Kasper. Although donors are subject to medical examinations and genetic tests, "there is no perfect pre-selection," explained Ayo Wahlberg, researcher and a member of the Danish Council on Ethics. "Technology is developing so fast. Genetic testing technologies and their costs are falling so fast that, if we compare 10 or 15 years ago and today in terms of recruitment and the types of genetic tests that can be carried out as part of the screening process, a lot has changed," the professor explained. The rules governing sperm donation vary from one European country to another. The maximum number of children from a single donor varies from 15 in Germany to one in Cyprus. Other countries prefer to limit the number of families that can use the same donor to give them the opportunity to have brothers and sisters. For example, the same donor can help 12 families in Denmark and six families in Sweden or Belgium. In addition, donations are kept anonymous in countries such as France and Greece. In other member states such as Austria, the person born of a gamete donation may have access to the identity of his or her parent. In Germany and Bulgaria, donations may or may not be anonymous, depending on the circumstances. In the Netherlands, the process is not anonymous. Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian National Medical Ethics Councils raised concerns over a lack of regulation at an international and European level, claiming it increases the risk of the spread of genetic diseases and consanguinity. "The risk that a genetic disease will unknowingly spread much more widely (with a large number of offspring) than if the number (of offspring) had been smaller," Wahlberg said. "The first step is therefore to establish or introduce a limit of families per donor. The second step is to create a national register. And the third step is of course to have a European register based on the national registers," Sven-Erik Söder, President of the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, told Euronews. In the age of social media and thorough DNA testing, donor anonymity can no longer be 100% guaranteed, which some have argued could put off people from donating. When asked if the introduction of regulations could lead to a shortage of sperm donations, Söder said the solution is not the absence of restrictions, but instead encourage people to donate. A referendum in Italy on citizenship requirements and job protection is likely to have failed, as turnout was far below the required threshold, polling agency YouTrend said on Monday. Turnout needed to be at least 50% plus one vote to make the referendum results binding, but based on data collected from 60,000 polling stations, turnout was around 30%. The referendum, proposed by trade unions and civic organisations, addresses issues that have generated political debate in Italy in recent years, particularly labour market reform, primarily the 2016 Labour Act, as well as migrant reception and integration policies. The first four questions relate to labour issues and concern the increasing protection of workers, small enterprises and their obligations towards employees, short-term contracts, and the responsibility of clients towards subcontracting parties and employees' safety. The fifth question concerns the period of time necessary for non-EU nationals residing in the country to be eligible for Italian citizenship, proposing to reduce it from 10 to five years. The parties of the ruling coalition, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, opposed the referendum, with some politicians urging citizens not to participate in the vote. According to the advocacy group International Democracy Community, although opposition parties have supported the referendum, it is primarily a citizens' initiative and not a political matter. "The referendum questions were proposed through a bottom-up approach, and did not come from parliament," the International Democracy Community said in a statement. "Members of the Europa+ party launched the initiative on the citizenship question, whilst the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) has been the initiator of the Labour Act ones, with support from the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green and Left Alliance." According to exit data after polls closed at 3 pm, the "yes" vote for the four labour law questions stood at around 85%, while 60% of voters said yes to the citizenship question. The referendum coincided with local elections in several Italian regions and municipalities.
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Saving the ocean: 'We have to be optimistic because it's our only planet,' scientist says
One of the world's leading researchers on the state of our oceans has spoken to FRANCE 24 as the UN Ocean Conference got underway in the French Riviera city of Nice. The event is focused on "accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean". We spoke to Chris Bowler, the scientific coordinator of the Tara Ocean Programme – first about that programme and then about his reaction to French President Emmanuel Macron's opening speech at the conference in Nice.
