Working with fishermen to modify their gear and prevent unintended deaths of endangered marine animals

WHO: New England Aquarium scientist Timothy B. Werner will discuss the unique partnership that the Aquarium has forged with fisherman to design, develop and test modified fishing gear to help prevent overfishing and save endangered marine species across the globe. His lecture is entitled: “Pingers, Spools, and Crooked Hooks: Modifying Fishing Practices to Prevent Marine Extinctions.”

WHAT: Rising demand for seafood creates a challenge for balancing the needs of fishermen with the problem of overfishing and preserving marine wildlife. As head of the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, Werner directs a unique collaborative research program at the New England Aquarium that brings together scientists and fishermen to find solutions to bycatch. The nets, hooks, ropes and traps that fishermen use to capture their target fish can unintentionally injure and kill hundreds and thousands of unwanted fish, whales and sea birds each year. For example, massive trawl nets aimed at catching shrimp collect many other species, such as sea turtles, that are then cast off or killed in the process.

From the northern U.S. to the tropical Pacific and Patagonian seas, Werner will share examples of the group’s innovative research to modify fishing gear and practices and highlight the challenges we must overcome to eliminate the most immediate threat to many endangered marine species worldwide.

WHEN: The free lecture takes place Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: New England Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre, Central Wharf, Boston, MA

REGISTRATION: Suggested but not required at: http://support.neaq.org/site/Calendar?id=106426&view=Detail

THANKS: The Aquarium’s series of free lectures, films, and discussions is made possible by the generous support of the Lowell Institute