Competition Opens for ‘Smart’ Fishing Gear

WWF announced it has begun accepting entries to the 2014 Smart Gear International Competition, which seeks and supports innovative solutions to address fisheries bycatch, the unintentional catch of fish and other marine species. The deadline for entry submission is August 31, 2014.

Since its launch in 2004, the International Smart Gear Competition has demonstrated that conservation and industry can successfully work together to identify and eventually implement solutions to reduce bycatch. Past winners have included especially designed lights that reduce the bycatch of turtles in gillnets, and a device to reduce the bycatch of seabirds on tuna longlines.

“More than 40% of the winning ideas identified by the competition in previous years are being used regularly in different types of fisheries,” said Alfred Schumm, Leader of WWF’s Global Smart Fishing Initiative.

This year, the competition offers its largest prize purse to date, totalling US$65,000, including:

• A grand prize of US$30,000 and two US$10,000 runner-up prizes, sponsored by Fondation Segré.
• With John West Foods, a US$7,500 special prize will be awarded to the idea that identifies a solution to reduce the amount of bycatch found in both purse seine and longline tuna fisheries in the waters of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
• With the Marine Mammal Commission and the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsorship, a US$7,500 special prize will be awarded to the entry judged to most effectively reduce the bycatch of marine mammals in gillnet fisheries.

After the prizes are awarded, WWF works with each of the winners to bring their ideas to life and see them implemented in fisheries around the world.

For more information, official competition rules, and instructions on how to enter, visit the Smart Gear website (external link).