Acoustic devices halve whale entanglements in Peruvian fishing nets
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Researchers in Peru demonstrated that acoustic devices, known as pingers, reduced whale entanglements in artisanal fishing nets by 52.9 percent.
A study led by Chiara Guidino of the Universidad Científica del Sur and ProDelphinus evaluated 115 fishing trips between September 2022 and December 2023 from the ports of Máncora and Acapulco. The research team found that nets equipped with the low-frequency pingers experienced significantly fewer whale entanglements compared to control nets without the devices.
This study marks the first time pingers have been successfully used with surface nets employed by artisanal fishermen. Previous research focused on smaller cetaceans or used pingers attached to buoys with limited success. The devices, which emit signals between 3 and 20 kHz every 4 or 5 seconds, alert whales without scaring away the fish and sharks targeted by the fisheries. Whale entanglements cause financial hardship for fishing families.
The study estimated that damaged nets cost fishermen an average of 127.1 USD, while lost nets can reach 578.5 USD. While the pingers offer long-term savings, their initial import cost and customs fees present a barrier for Peruvian fishermen. Guidino’s team suggests local production of the devices could significantly lower costs and proposes state support for fishermen to switch to safer gear during whale breeding season, July to November.
