2005 Runner-Up Prize Winners - Implementing the Winning Idea

The Flying Bottlebrush (aka Carefree's Cunning Contraption)

Chris Carey, New Zealand

An opportunity to advance the device toward certification and commercial use presented itself in the form of a workshop on seabird bycatch for which WWF served as a major sponsor. Held in New Zealand in September 2006, where seabird bycatch mitigation is a significant concern, the workshop brought together fishermen, industry representatives, government officials, scientists, and conservation community representatives from the host country, the U.S., South Africa, Australia and Argentina. Topics discussed included the need for legislation to address the issue, the definition of the scope of the problem in various regions around the world, and the variety of mitigation measures available and their effectiveness. It was at this workshop that WWF was able to introduce the "Flying Bottle-Brush" to a wide target audience.

Currently, a code of practice for New Zealand is under the control of the Deep Water Group, a body comprised of representatives from the fishing industry, along with Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird and WWF. Legislation has been passed, along with the Codes of Practice and vessel management plans that have been put in place on all deep sea trawlers and long liners and the smaller inshore vessels are in the process of being bought into the system which are working well. The Flying Bottle-Brush is one of the options available to industry as a mitigation measure.

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.

Since winning the competition, the government of the Faroe Islands has mandated the use of the "Flexi-Grid" for all vessels in its water operating in the blue-whiting fishery. The design has also been adopted by trawlers operating in Russia and Iceland, and trials of the device are being conducted in Norway, Spain and New Zealand. Recently, WWF fielded an inquiry from a purse-seine operator as to the applicability of utilizing a “Flexi-Grid” type arrangement in his nets and is working to investigate this application.