Research has shown that illuminated lights can reduce bycatch by 63% and help fishermen retrieve and untangle nets more quickly. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been collaborating with fishermen to trial the use of colored LED lights to minimize the chance of sea life getting caught up in catches. The use of green lights has been found to be the most effective at preventing turtles from being entangled.
Despite the success of this technology, some question whether the fishing industry will embrace it due to its price. Akbar Digdo, the chief executive of a non-profit organization in Indonesia, suggests coupling the technology with a financing mechanism to make it more accessible for local fishermen. Additionally, the use of the CatchCam, a camera that attaches to the fishing net, and Enki, a data collection system, has helped fishermen like Wightman improve efficiency and reduce waste.
Overall, the use of technology in sustainable fishing has proven to be a win-win solution for the ocean ecosystem and the fishing industry. It has reduced bycatch, increased fishermen's earnings, and made fishing more efficient. Despite some challenges, the potential benefits of this technology for the environment and the fishing industry are promising.
Original news source: Sustainable fishing: The tech making it cheaper and greener (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and one takes on the role of a news reporter while the other is a fisherman using the new technology. The reporter interviews the fisherman about the impact of the technology on sustainable fishing, asking questions about how it works, its benefits, and the challenges faced. After a few minutes, they switch roles.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (e.g., bycatch, LED lights, sensors, sustainable fishing, etc.) on slips of paper. Divide the class into teams and have students take turns drawing the terms on the board without speaking or writing any words. Their team has to guess the term based on the drawing within a set time limit.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Read statements regarding sustainable fishing and the new technology to the class, such as "The new technology will revolutionize the fishing industry," or "The cost of the technology is too high for widespread adoption." Students line up according to their opinion on the spectrum from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." Then, they discuss their positions with the class or within small groups.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Provide students with a list of key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., innovative, affordable, environmentally friendly, efficiency, collaboration, mechanism, accessible). Students work in pairs or small groups to come up with as many synonyms as they can for each word within a set time limit. Then, share and discuss the synonyms as a class.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students imagine the future of fishing with the integration of technology as described in the article. In groups, they discuss and write down their predictions about the environmental impact, economic consequences, and potential changes to the industry. Each group then presents their predictions to the class, followed by a class discussion on the feasibility and desirability of these predictions.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Fishermen are using devices from SafetyNet Technologies that include LED lights, cameras, and sensors attached to their fishing nets to reduce bycatch.
The technology uses illuminated LED lights to attract certain species of fish while repelling unwanted mammals like dolphins, which helps improve the selectivity of the fishing gear.
Illuminated lights can reduce bycatch by 63% and also help fishermen retrieve and untangle nets more quickly.
Fishermen are collaborating with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to trial the use of colored LED lights, with the purpose of minimizing the chance of sea life getting caught up in catches.
Green LED lights have been found to be the most effective at preventing turtles from getting entangled.
Concerns are raised about whether the fishing industry will embrace the technology due to its price.
The camera that attaches to the fishing net is called the CatchCam, and its purpose is to help fishermen monitor their fishing nets.
The use of the CatchCam and Enki data collection system has helped fishermen like Ian Wightman improve efficiency and reduce waste by providing information that can be used to adjust fishing practices.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Sustainable is becoming more affordable and environmentally friendly thanks to innovative . like Ian Wightman are using devices from SafetyNet Technologies to reduce , which occurs when non-targeted sea life gets caught in fishing gear. By using LED lights, cameras, and sensors attached to the fishing net, fishermen can attract certain species of fish while repelling unwanted mammals like dolphins, ultimately catches and efficiency. Research has that illuminated lights can reduce bycatch by 63% and help retrieve and untangle nets more quickly. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been collaborating with fishermen to trial the use of colored LED lights to minimize the chance of sea life getting caught up in catches. The use of lights has been found to be the most effective at preventing turtles from being entangled. Despite the of this technology, some question whether the fishing industry will it due to its price. Akbar Digdo, the chief executive of a non-profit organization in Indonesia, suggests coupling the technology with a financing mechanism to make it more accessible for local fishermen. Additionally, the use of the CatchCam, a that to the fishing net, and Enki, a data collection system, has helped fishermen like Wightman efficiency and reduce . Overall, the use of technology in sustainable fishing has proven to be a win-win solution for the ocean ecosystem and the fishing industry. It has reduced bycatch, increased fishermen's , and made fishing more efficient. Despite some challenges, the potential of this technology for the environment and the fishing industry are promising.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your understanding of sustainable fishing, and why do you think it's important?
2. How would you feel if your local fishermen started using technology like LED lights to reduce bycatch?
3. Do you like the idea of using technology to solve environmental problems? Why or why not?
4. Do you think the fishing industry should prioritize sustainability over profitability? Why?
5. Can you think of any other industries that could benefit from similar technological innovations?
6. How do you think the adoption of such technology could impact the livelihood of small-scale fishermen?
7. What is your opinion on the role of non-profit organizations in promoting sustainable practices in industries like fishing?
8. Have you ever participated in or supported any sustainable fishing initiatives? What was your experience like?
9. How do you think consumers can influence the fishing industry to adopt more sustainable practices?
10. Do you think there should be more government incentives to encourage fishermen to use sustainable technology? Why or why not?
11. What are some potential drawbacks of introducing new technology into traditional industries?
12. How would you propose to balance the cost of new technology with the benefits it brings to the environment?
13. Do you think sustainable fishing practices can coexist with the cultural traditions of fishing communities?
14. In what ways do you think technology could potentially harm the fishing industry or the environment?
15. Do you think it's realistic to expect significant changes in the fishing industry's practices due to technological advancements? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
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