Ecuadorian artisanal fleets produce some of the highest rates of endangered species fisheries bycatch in the East Pacific. Ecuador accounts for approximately 40,000 turtles accidentally caught in the Southeast Pacific.

This innovation project will test the effectiveness of Bycatch Reduction Technologies (BRT) in the nearshore gillnet fishery using a three-pronged approach:

(1) community workshops;

(2) a human-centered design; and

(3) scientific trials of LED light devices and electromagnetic devices to reduce shark and turtle bycatch. 

This will be underpinned by a sustainable business model offering financial value to participating fishing crews through additional export and domestic market access, made available by the Ecuadorian Government's Accion Tiburon Program. This approach will ensure the testing, adoption, sustaining and scaling of BRT in Ecuadorian Fishery in a way that is relevant to Ecuadorian artisanal fishers to sustain their livelihoods, maintain fish stocks, and reduce impacts on endangered species in the Pacific Ocean for the long term.