SFP, Nestlé Purina digital hub targets industry engagement on bycatch-reduction projects

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and Purina Europe have recently partnered to launch the Bycatch Solutions Hub, a web-based platform that aims to connect seafood retailers and businesses with organizations capable of in-the-water solutions to reduce bycatch.

The goal of the collaboration, which the two organizations launched at Seafood Expo Global (SEG) in April 2023, is to decrease barriers preventing business and seafood retailers from supporting bycatch reduction, with a focus on collecting and disseminating information on successful methods being deployed globally. Additionally, the hub matches companies based on interest, funding, and expertise to organizations implementing solutions to protect endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) species from ending up as bycatch.

“One of the biggest barriers to companies and seafood retailers is not knowing how and where to find practical solutions and projects in need of funding. There is a lot of information about bycatch, gear, and best practices, but it’s fragmented across various sources, making it extremely difficult to get a full understanding of the issues and solutions,” SFP Biodiversity and Nature Director Kathryn Novak said. “SFP created the Bycatch Solutions Hub to improve visibility of the existing efforts being implemented by fishers to reduce the bycatch of marine wildlife and to provide easy access and connections to others just getting started.”

Bycatch occurs when fishers catch non-target species, such as sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, seabirds, and protected or quota-limited fish. The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission estimates commercial fishing globally kills or seriously injures around 650,000 marine mammals annually.

The hub’s community network features …