A study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals the difficulty of protecting seabirds from accidental catches without causing them harm. Being protected by the European Union, scientists are seeking effective methods. However, they have found that although moving objects generate an initial threat, birds quickly adapt if the stimulus is predictable, losing effectiveness over time.
The Bobby device and bird habituation in real conditions 🐦
Danish researchers tested the Bobby device in real fishing scenarios, designed to scare seabirds away from nets. The study highlights a key technical challenge: habituation. Birds, upon detecting that the stimulus does not represent a constant danger, progressively ignore it. This phenomenon reduces the system's effectiveness, forcing a rethink of strategies that alternate unpredictable patterns to maintain deterrence without harming protected wildlife.
Smart birds: Bobby's trick that doesn't fool them 🧠
It turns out seabirds are not as naive as they seem. Bobby, with its mechanical dance, initially scares them, but they soon discover it is like a scarecrow without mystery: it just moves without hunting. Scientists confirm that if the stimulus is predictable, birds get bored and return to their old ways. Perhaps the solution is a Bobby that does a handstand or tells jokes, because with such clever birds, fishing gets complicated.