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A floating buoy with a moving, eye-like marker reduced the chance of seabirds being caught in gillnets by 59% in a two-year trial off Cornwall, according to a 2026 study. A bird-of-prey-shaped kite tested alongside it reduced capture risk by 71%. The results offer promising, practical tools for reducing seabird bycatch—but they describe one specific trial, not a guarantee for every fishery or every device designed to scare birds.
What the floating “scarecrow” is—and what it is meant to do
The device, called a Looming Eye Buoy (LEB), is a floating buoy topped with a moving, eye-like marker. It is intended to deter diving seabirds from approaching fishing nets. Planning Inspectorate documents describe it as being attached to existing fishing equipment, without added lights or sound. It is specialized fisheries equipment, not an ordinary garden bird scarer.
The problem it addresses is bycatch: seabirds can become entangled in gillnets while pursuing fish underwater. The buoy offers a visible deterrent above the water; the trial measured whether fewer birds were caught when it was used. The findings do not establish that the eye-like appearance itself explains the effect.
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The two-year field trial took place off Cornwall and was led by Fishtek Marine with ten Cornish fishers. Cameras fitted to boats collected data, which University of Exeter scientists analyzed. The study, “Above Water Deterrents Reduce Auk Bycatch in Gillnet Fisheries off the United Kingdom,” appeared in Conservation Letters in 2026 (DOI: 10.1111/con4.70082).
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| Deterrent tested | Reported reduction in capture risk | Reported reach |
|---|---|---|
| Looming Eye Buoy | 59% in the Cornwall trial | Described in the reporting as having greater range than the kite; no precise distance stated. |
| Bird-of-prey kite (“scarybird”) | 71% in the Cornwall trial | Its reported benefit was localized around its flight path, at about 100 feet. |
These percentages are the reported reductions for guillemots and razorbills in this particular trial. They are not estimates of population recovery, and they should not be treated as guaranteed results elsewhere. The comparison also does not mean the kite is universally more effective: its reported effect was localized around its path, while the buoy was described as reaching farther.
Tom Horton, the University of Exeter study’s lead author, said: “This study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that simple, practical deterrents can substantially reduce seabird bycatch in gillnet fisheries. By also identifying when and where bycatch risk is highest, we now have a clear opportunity to target mitigation measures where they can deliver the greatest conservation benefit for vulnerable seabird populations and encourage sustainable fishing practices.”
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Why timing and location matter
Bycatch recorded during the Cornwall trial was concentrated in winter. That pattern suggests seasonal deployment may be useful there, focusing mitigation on periods when risk is highest rather than assuming the same level of risk all year. It does not establish that winter is the peak-risk season in other fisheries.
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A University of Exeter announcement estimated that 95,000 diving seabirds are incidentally caught and drown annually in European coastal gillnets. That estimate concerns European coastal gillnets, not worldwide fisheries.
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What this does—and does not—say about the power of eyes
Eyespots and eye-like markings have long featured in ideas about deterring animals. A Nautilus feature connects the buoy’s design to natural eyespots and recounts the story of people exposed to tiger attacks in India being given masks with eyes on the back of the head. That is historical framing, not evidence from the Cornwall seabird trial that masks prevent tiger attacks or that eyespots reliably deter animals across species.
The trial supports a narrower conclusion: two above-water deterrents were associated with lower seabird capture risk in one real-world gillnet fishery. It does not isolate the visual mechanism or prove that any floating eye, scarecrow, or bird-scaring product will work in other settings.
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What fishers and conservationists say about implementation
RSPB bycatch programme manager Yann Rouxel described the result as a milestone for gillnet mitigation, noting that gillnets have been difficult to address and that the tested devices could reduce bycatch without impeding fishers at sea. The trial’s work with ten local fishers demonstrates collaboration in that setting; it does not establish comparative costs, long-term durability, or operational performance across other fleets.
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