The numbers of fish and other ocean life have dropped dramatically in the past few decades. That’s because of ___1___, and something called bycatch.
More than 300 thousand small whales, dolphins and porpoises die due to commercial fishing each year.
And more than 250 thousand ___2___ sea turtles are killed on longlines set for tuna, swordfish, and other fish.
So here’s a ___3___ for any inventors out there: Create new fishing gear to reduce bycatch. Top prize? Thirty thousand dollars.
It’s the fifth International Smart Gear Competition sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.
“The Eliminator," a fishing net, was a winner in 2007, designed to reduce bycatch of cod in the haddock fishery.
The Eliminator ___4___. It has large openings at the bottom of the net. Because when haddock face a net, they swim up to escape and get caught. But other groundfish, like cod, swim down to try to ___5___. So the cod can escape through the openings at the bottom.
The Eliminator is now being used in New England and in Europe.
The current competition is open from March 1 through August 31. So get your net ready, and cast your ideas.
【视听版科学小组荣誉出品】
commercial overfishing endangered charge takes advantage of how fish swim break out
几十年来，由于商业性滥捕滥捞以及所谓的意外捕获，鱼类以及其他海洋生物的数量正在急速减少。每年都有30多万头小鲸鱼、小海豚还有鼠海豚因为商业捕捞而丧生。 濒临灭绝的海龟也难逃此劫，每年惨死在金枪鱼、箭鱼等的延绳钓上的海龟超过25万只。 于是，发明家们，任务来了：发明一套能减少意外捕捞的渔具。最高有多少奖励？3万美元！！这是世界野生生物基金会举办的第五届国际智能渔具设计大赛。 名为“过滤器”的渔网是2007年大赛的最高奖得主，其设计理念是在捕捞黑线鳕的过程中减少对鳕鱼的附带捕捞。 “过滤器”是根据鱼类游动的特点设计的。网底部设计成大开口，因为黑线鳕撞到渔网第一反应是向上游动以逃生；而其他底栖鱼，如鳕鱼，向下游动逃生。“过滤器”就是利用这点“放过”鳕鱼，捕获黑线鳕的。 “过滤器”目前在新英格兰以及欧洲都得到广泛使用。本届大赛将从3月1日持续到8月31日。赶快准备就绪，撒点子吧~