11/16/2020 Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.

Target Species in Ocean Fishing - Lesson - TeachEngineering

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!
Find more at TeachEngineering.org.

Lesson: Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.Target Species

in Ocean Fishing

Quick Look
Grade Level: 5 (4-6)
Time Required: 1 hour
Lesson Dependency: None
Subject Areas: Data Analysis and Probability, Life Science, Science and Technology

Summary
Bycatch is the act of unintentionally catching certain living creatures
using shing gear. A bycatched species is distinguished from a target
species (the animal the gear is intended to catch) because it is not sold
or used. Marine mammals (whales, dolphins, porpoises), seabirds, sea
turtles and unwanted or undersized sh are examples of animals
caught as bycatch. The incidental capture of these animals can
signi cantly reduce their populations. The most well known example
of bycatch may be the unintentional mortality of spotted and spinner
dolphins in the tuna shing industry. The marketing of "dolphin-safe"
tuna is a result of people realizing and opposing this. One important
aspect to consider when discussing this issue is that laws protect some
of the animals caught as bycatch (Marine Mammal Protection Act and
Endangered Species Act). In this lesson and its associated activity,
students are shown pictures of entangled marine animals and then
learn the de nition of bycatch. This leads to discussions on why
bycatching exists, how it impacts speci c animals as well as humans, Right whales are one of the main bycatch constituents
whether the students believe it is an important issue, and how bycatch due to gillnet sheries.

can be reduced.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection
Students study bycatch from an engineering perspective with the idea to design technological solutions to addess the
problem.

Learning Objectives
After conducting this lesson, students should be able to:

Explain what is meant by "bycatch."

Explain how bycatch a ects their lives.

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_bycatchunit_musc_less 1/5
11/16/2020 Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.Target Species in Ocean Fishing - Lesson - TeachEngineering

Describe ways to reduce bycatch.

Describe key issues relating to bycatch, such as shermen's rights, ownership of the sea, and the economic
impact of eliminating bycatch.

Educational Standards
 NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science
 Common Core State Standards - Math
 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology
 State Standards

Introduction/Motivation
If you have access to the video "Empty Oceans Empty Nets," produced by Habitat Media in 2002, show it to the class
as a great introduction to what bycatch is and how it a ects the lives of di erent species. If you do not have access to
the video, pass around pictures of entanglements, such as the ones in this curricular unit. Have students comment
on how the pictures make them feel, why they think that this type of entanglement occurs, and whether or not
people should do anything about this. Then de ne bycatch and lead a discussion with a broader scope that combines
marine science with government policies.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Review the explanation of bycatch (refer to the Summary text). Also review the Table 1 material, so that you can
explain to students the di erent types of shing gear that result in bycatch. Note also which species are a ected the
most by commercial shing.

Vaquita, striped, common and bottlenose dolphins, harbor porpoises, pilot

whales, humpback whales, and right whales get caught in stationary nets
comprised of webbing (see Figure 1).

Within a trawl net, a turtle excluder

device (TED) allows turtles to escape
through a hole in the net, so they do
not get collected (Figure 2). In addtion, Table 1. Examples of types of shing gear that
bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), such catch protected species.
as " sh eyes" (see Figure 2), let certain
sh species swim out through panels in
the net while the target species is
preferentially caught in the cod end.
Figure 1. A stationary net comprised of webbing.

Figure 2. A diagram of a trawl net with a turtle

excluder device (TED) and sh eye.
Severe Impact Examples

The vaquita is a small porpoise that lives only in the Gulf of California and is in imminent danger of extinction as a
result of gillnet sheries (refer to Table 1). Because gillnets are of uniform mesh size, they can entrap much larger
non-target species and result in death. The total population of vaquita is now less than 1,000 animals, after declining
https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_bycatchunit_musc_less 2/5
11/16/2020 Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.Target Species in Ocean Fishing - Lesson - TeachEngineering

by approximately 20% each year between 1986 and 1993.

The North Atlantic right whale population has been reduced to approximately 300 individuals due to bycatch and
ship strikes, primarily o the New England coast. Refer to the All Caught Up: Acting Out Bycatching Points of View
activity to have students investigate the challenges to prevent bycatching.

Albatrosses in the Southern Ocean su ered a decrease by 44,000 birds per year due to the Japanese longline shery.

Ways to Minimize Bycatch

1. Acoustic alarms (pingers) deter marine mammals by emitting noise.

2. Gear modi cation:

Breakaway links let large whales break out of nets when they struggle and exert force.
Re ective nets are more detectable to marine mammals so they can avoid them.
Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) help turtles to escape through a built-in hatch in trawls.
Modi cation of mesh size helps marine mammals better detect nets so they can avoid them.

3. Time- area closures: Setting nets at di erent times of the day (setting longlines at night minimizes seabird
bycatch); setting nets in areas that are less heavily frequented by mammals, birds and turtles.

Associated Activities
All Caught Up: Acting Out Bycatching Points of View - Students experience the di culty that shermen
experience while trying to isolate a target species when a variety of animals are found in the area of interest.

Lesson Closure
What is bycatch?

Bycatch is the unwanted capture of unpro table species obtained during shing attempts for a speci c "target
species." Animal populations such as dolphins, whales and seals, to name a few, are signi cantly a ected by bycatch
and can become endangered as a result.

Why is bycatch an issue that we should think about?

Students may have di erent opinions on this. Some may think that humans have no responsibility to reduce bycatch.
They may believe that humans should have unlimited control over marine environments to sh and hunt, and it is
acceptable to catch and kill animals that we are not going to eat. Some students may have famiy members that are
shermen and believe that bycatch avoidance methods are too expensive for small businesses who are trying to
remain pro table and competitive. If students do not have such acquaintances, present this point of view. Others
may strongly believe that people need to help reduce bycatch so that endangered species are preserved for future
generations and/or because the loss of species has unforeseen a ects on the food chain. Encourage a discussion
surrounding this topic that encourages the sharing of a wide variety of viewpoints.

What steps can be taken to reduce bycatch?

Ask students to propose measures that can be taken to reduce bycatch, not limited to engineering solutions like
di erent types of shing gear or modi ed gear. Other potential methods include governmental legislation and policy
surrounding shing methods or the reduction of commercial shing in general. Hopefully students will think of very
creative solutions that others may not have thought of before. Encourage them, if they have an innovative idea, to
write to their governor, congressman, or even the president about their idea and the importance of the bycatch
issue.

Vocabulary/De nitions
bycatch: The portion of a shing catch that is discarded as unwanted or commercially unusable.
https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_bycatchunit_musc_less 3/5
11/16/2020 Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.Target Species in Ocean Fishing - Lesson - TeachEngineering

gillnet: A single sheet of webbing that hangs between a oat line and main line. Stationary net.
longline: Consists of a long, mainline to which smaller, baited hooklines are attached at regular intervals.
purse seine: Large curtain-type nets with small mesh size. Pulled by two boats to encircle sh.
trawl: Consists of three parts: a conical bag-shaped net, "wings," and a cod end. Pulled by a boat.

Assessment
Written Re ection: As long as students are actively engaged in discussion and appear to understand the de nition
of bycatch, then they comprehend the most important aspects of this lesson. Encourage creative thought on the
issue of bycatch by having each student write in his or her journal after the discussion. Ask students to re ect on the
lesson, answering prompts such as: What is bycatch? Do you think it is important for shermen to try to reduce it?
Why or why not? Can you think of any ways that the government, shermen and/or the average person could help to
reduce bycatch?

References
Biology of Marine Mammals. 1999. Edited by: J. Reynolds III and S. Rommel. Smithsonian Institution, WDC, USA.

The Bottlenose Dolphin. 1990 Eds. S. Leatherwood and R. Reeves. Academic Press, Inc. London, UK.

Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals.1999. Eds. Twiss and Reeves. Smithsonian Institution, WDC,
USA.

"Empty Oceans Empty Nets" (video). Produced by Habitat Media. 2002. http://www.shoppbs.org

Marine Mammal Biology, An Evolutionary Approach. 2002. Ed. R. Hoelzel. Blackwell Science, Ltd., Oxford, UK.

Seabird Bycatch: Trends, Roadblocks and Solutions. 2001. Eds. E. Melvin and J. Parrish. Univ. of Alaska Seagrant.

Copyright
© 2013 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2004 Duke University

Contributors
Aruna Venkatesan, Pratt School of Engineering; Matt Nusnbaum, Pratt School of Engineering; Angela Jiang, Pratt
School of Engineering; Vicki Thayer, Nicholas School of the Environment; Amy Whitt, Nicholas School of the
Environment

Supporting Program
Engineering K-PhD Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University

Acknowledgements
This content was developed by the MUSIC (Math Understanding through Science Integrated with Curriculum)
Program in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no.
DGE 0338262. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the NSF, and you should not
assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modi ed: May 29, 2019

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_bycatchunit_musc_less 4/5
11/16/2020 Caught in the Net: Bycatch vs.Target Species in Ocean Fishing - Lesson - TeachEngineering

Free K-12 standards-aligned STEM curriculum for educators everywhere.

Find more at TeachEngineering.org

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_bycatchunit_musc_less 5/5