Looming-Eye Buoys Reduce Seabird Bycatch in Nets
Researchers in the United Kingdom and Denmark studied buoys designed to scare seabirds away from fishing nets.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Bird Watching
Researchers found that looming-eye buoys, which have rotating heads resembling an approaching predator's eyes, significantly reduced the number of common guillemots and razorbills caught in fishing nets off the United Kingdom. A Denmark study found the deterrent effect around pound nets was short-lived.
Why it matters
Hundreds of thousands of seabirds are caught in fishing nets each year, and most drown while trying to escape. The buoys are cheaper and easier to retrofit than some other bycatch-reduction methods, but the Denmark findings suggest their benefit may fade over time.
Field counts found significantly fewer common guillemots and razorbills caught in buoy-fitted nets, though nets with buoys also caught more seals than those without. Denmark observations showed fewer great cormorants and gulls in the days after installation, but numbers returned to pre-installation levels after one month, and researchers have not established how long the deterrent lasts beyond that.
The details
Looming-eye buoys are attached above the water to fishing nets and have rotating heads designed to resemble the eyes of an approaching predator, aiming to scare seabirds away. Researchers suggested the buoys might be most effective when deployed only during winter, when seabird bycatch levels are significantly higher than at other times of year.
Timeline
Winter: seabird bycatch levels peak, according to the study findings.
Days after installation: fewer cormorants and gulls were observed around Denmark pound nets.
After one month: seabird numbers around the Denmark pound nets returned to roughly pre-installation levels.
Roadmap
Looming-eye buoys represent a visual-deterrent approach to seabird bycatch that is cheaper and easier to retrofit than some alternative methods used in fisheries. The Denmark findings show that a deterrent which works initially may lose effect within weeks, making timing of deployment a key question for future fishery management.
Readers who enjoy coastal birding may notice fewer seabird casualties near fishing operations that adopt these buoys. Those who follow seabird populations can watch whether fishery managers extend the devices to other fishing gear.
The takeaway
Simple visual deterrents can reduce seabird bycatch, but their effect may not last without ongoing or seasonally timed deployment. Birders and conservation-minded readers can track how fisheries adapt these methods over coming seasons.
Further reading
Learn more about seabirds in our Bird Watching section.
