2005 Runner-Up Prize Winners - Implementing the Winning Idea

The Flying Bottlebrush (aka Carefree's Cunning Contraption)

Chris Carey, New Zealand

In partnership with the fishing industry, WWF-New Zealand supported trials of this device in conjunction with testing of other seabird mitigation devices. The results of the trials indicated that the effectiveness of the Flying Bottlebrush device depends on the type of fishing vessel being used, but it is certainly on par with other primary mitigation devices.

After the trials there was a need to disseminate and collect information from areas in which seabird bycatch is a major concern. WWF-US contributed funding towards an international workshop held in New Zealand in October 2006. The workshop bought together skippers, industry managers, government officials, scientists and NGO's from New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, US and UK. The goal of the workshop was to raise awareness of the problem of seabird bycatch in the trawl industry, and discuss the effectiveness of various measures employed in countries around the world.

In December 2006, representatives from New Zealand traveled to South America to attend a regional forum held to address solutions for seabird bycatch. They will continue to work with the trawl fisheries in South America to mitigate this problem.

THE FLEXI-GRID (aka THE FISH FILTER)

Kristian Zachariassen, Faroe Islands

Prior to winning this award, the Flexi-grid had already been trialed in the blue-whiting trawl fishery to reduce the bycatch of cod and saithe, and was found to be highly effective. Since winning, interest in the Flexi-grid has come from a variety of fisheries around the world.

The fisheries industry in the Faroe Islands are participating in many of the trials as well as providing financial support. Trials are being conducted in flatfish trawl fisheries in order to reduce the bycatch of cod and haddock. Shrimp trawlers within the NAFO area have expressed interest in conducting trials with the grid. IMR, Bergen are planning to compare the Flexi-grid against other grid designs in the herring fishery, with the goal of reducing the bycatch of saithe.

Trawl fisheries in Australia are looking to conduct trials to reduce the bycatch of sea turtles as well as sharks, and the U.S. and Canada are examining applications of the grid for fisheries within these countries. It is an idea with wide appeal.