Science · Cornwall, England, UK
Floating 'scarecrow' cuts seabird deaths in Cornish nets
How can fishing nets stop catching seabirds?
A two-year trial with 10 Cornish fishers found that a 'floating scarecrow' buoy cut the chance of guillemots and razorbills being caught in gillnets by 59%. A kite shaped like a bird of prey cut it by 71%. University of Exeter scientists analysed the data, and the results appear in the journal Conservation Letters.
What is the problem?
Gillnets hang in the water like a curtain. Diving seabirds such as guillemots and razorbills can become tangled in them and drown. The University of Exeter says an estimated 95,000 diving seabirds are caught this way around Europe’s coasts every year.
What did the trial test?
Two simple deterrents were tested on working fishing boats in Cornwall.
- The Looming Eye Buoy. Devon-based Fishtek Marine developed this “floating scarecrow” with the RSPB. Its spinning head uses an animated eye effect to scare birds away from the nets.
- The “scarybird” kite. This is a commercially available kite shaped like a bird of prey.
The trial ran for two years. Fishtek Marine led it, working with 10 Cornish fishers who had cameras fitted to their boats. Scientists from the University of Exeter analysed the data.
What did it find?
The chance of birds being caught fell by 59% with the buoys and by 71% with the kites. The peer-reviewed results appear in the journal Conservation Letters.
Most seabirds in the Cornwall trials were caught in winter. The researchers say this means future use of the devices can focus on the riskiest seasons.
Tom Horton, the lead author from the University of Exeter, said the study gives some of the strongest evidence yet that simple, practical deterrents work in gillnet fisheries. Tom Hooper of Fishtek Marine said the technology means fishing can continue while reducing the effects on seabirds.
Micky Bacon, a fisher from Mousehole who took part, said he joined the trial because the sea is his workplace.
Who paid for it?
The study was funded by Defra’s Fishing Industry Science Partnership programme and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners. Fishtek Marine says it will keep working with fishers, the RSPB and the University of Exeter to improve the devices.
What the results do not show
The figures are relative reductions. Neither device stopped every bird from being caught. The trial involved 10 gillnet fishers in one region, so results may differ in other fisheries, seasons or for other species. The company that co-developed the buoy also led the trial, and no regulator or industry group had announced wider use when we checked.
Sources & reporting notes
We checked the University of Exeter's release of 1 October 2026 and a later news report. The journal paper did not load for us, so the figures come from the university release. Fishtek Marine, which co-developed the buoy, led the trial; Exeter scientists analysed the data. No wider rollout had been announced when we checked.
- University of Exeter · 1 October 2026
The university's account of the trial, its results, funders and quotes from the lead author, Fishtek Marine and a participating fisher.
- YourWeather (Meteored UK) · 11 October 2026
Independent report repeating the 59% and 71% reductions and the ten-fisher, two-year trial.
- Positive News · What went right this week (week 40)
Secondary summary of the same study.
Have a correction or a confirmed update? Contact our editorial team.
Common questions
- What is the floating scarecrow?
- It is a Looming Eye Buoy developed by Fishtek Marine with the RSPB. It has a spinning head with an animated eye effect that scares birds away from diving into nets.
- Did the devices stop all seabird bycatch?
- No. The trial found relative reductions: 59% with the buoys and 71% with the kites. The university release does not give absolute numbers of birds caught, and the trial covered 10 fishers in Cornwall.