Can pingers keep ducks from gill nets?

[Cara J]

When diving ducks plunge into the water, they run the risk of getting trapped in fishermen’s gill nets. These nets are responsible for hundreds of thousands of incidental deaths of water birds each year. Now, researchers are wondering if pinger systems — like those used to keep marine mammals away from nets — could be used for ducks, too. Researchers at the University of Delaware are testing what frequencies ducks hear to see if pinger systems could be effective for them. The research is taking place at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. Read more from the University of Delaware here.

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