{"id":60139965,"date":"2026-07-01T10:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=news_digest&p=60139965"},"modified":"2026-07-01T10:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:25:16","slug":"the-nets-protecting-fish-but-killing-birds","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/the-nets-protecting-fish-but-killing-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"The nets protecting fish \u2026 but killing birds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new study published in the Biodiversity Science journal suggests<\/a> that China, as the world\u2019s largest aquaculture producer, still lacks sufficient research on bird deterrent measures. This leaves a gap in the scientific information needed to balance aquaculture production with waterbird conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, led by a team from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, south-east China, assessed 37 deterrent measures across more than 100 cases worldwide. It did not find a single global solution, given the diversity of bird species and deterrents deployed. The authors call for more locally grounded research, to help China\u2019s aquaculture farmers respond to bird predation as sustainably as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case studies demonstrate how high these stakes can be: according to Hubei Daily<\/a>, a fish farmer in Ezhou, Hubei province, was convicted of illegal hunting after using bird nets that killed six birds. The farmer received a six-month suspended prison sentence. In the same township, another farmer reported losing more than half his shrimp yield to bird predation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hubei Daily added that a 2026 national survey of wintering waterbirds recorded 30 species and more than 28,000 individuals in Ezhou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China sits along a key global migration route for waterbirds, the East Asian-Australasian flyway. It is one of the busiest of Earth\u2019s nine major migratory bird routes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, a biodiversity research and conservation group, Beautiful Nature, has been testing<\/a> solutions over the past two years. One project focused on shellfish aquaculture ponds in south-eastern China, where protective netting has been linked to large-scale bird mortality. The project assessed the ecological impact of the nets and worked with local communities to reduce harm. In some areas, farmers began removing nets early or switched to alternatives, such as plastic strip lines or reflective ribbons. Beautiful Nature has also submitted<\/a> policy briefs to propose ecological insurance schemes, standards for bird-friendly deterrents, and compensation mechanisms that could help reduce wildlife deaths while protecting livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The local authorities in Hubei have also begun experimenting with solutions. A cross-departmental insurance scheme now compensates farmers for wildlife-related losses. Claims can be filed with photos or surveillance evidence, with payouts of up to RMB 3,000 (USD 440), reports Hubei Daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sun Yat-sen University researchers also suggest that, as evidence grows, bird-friendly deterrent equipment could be included in agricultural machinery subsidy programmes, alongside training for farmers on how to use them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new study published in the Biodiversity Science journal suggests that China, as the world\u2019s largest aquaculture producer, still lacks sufficient research on bird deterrent measures. This leaves a gap in the scientific information needed to balance aquaculture production with waterbird conservation. The study, led by a team from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, south-east […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60006658,"template":"","categories":[764,50039901],"tags":[40027751,523],"country":[20000110],"digest-collection":[50039911,50039912],"class_list":["post-60139965","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","category-ocean","tag-aquaculture","tag-conservation","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe nets protecting fish \u2026 but killing birds | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/the-nets-protecting-fish-but-killing-birds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The nets protecting fish \u2026 but killing birds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new study published in the Biodiversity Science journal suggests that China, as the world\u2019s largest aquaculture producer, still lacks sufficient research on bird deterrent measures. 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