Iluminar El Mar
We are collaborating with fisher cooperatives, the Vice Ministry of Fisheries, local nonprofit organizations, and local biologists and university students to develop a multi-phase bycatch reduction program.
Project Type: Bycatch Reduction and Implementation
Location: Ecuador
Administrative Co-Lead: Mare Nostrum
Prinicipal Collaborator: EcoPacific+
Funded By: UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge
Project Overview
From Nets to Solutions: A Collaborative Effort to Save the East Pacific Leatherback
Iluminar El Mar (Illuminate the Ocean) is a vital conservation initiative co-led with Ecuadorian nonprofit Mare Nostrum, in collaboration with EcoPacific+, and funded by the UNDP’s Ocean Innovation Challenge. The project is dedicated to empowering local fishers in coastal Ecuador to design innovative solutions to increase the sustainability of their practices through targeting a major threat facing migratory marine species: fisheries bycatch.
What is fisheries bycatch?
Fisheries bycatch is the accidental catch of non-target catch in fishing gear and the greatest threat facing the leatherback sea turtle. Off the coast of Ecuador, thousands of sea turtles, sharks, rays, and cetaceans are unintentionally caught each year in artisanal gillnet fisheries.
Bycatch is one of the leading threats contributing to the Eastern Pacific leatherback population’s decline by over 90% over the last few decades. Projected to have fewer than 1,000 adult females remaining, the Eastern Pacific leatherback subpopulation is at an urgent risk of extinction without immediate intervention.
What is the challenge being addressed?
In the Eastern Pacific, scientific estimates suggest that Ecuador accounts for 87% of reported bycatch, making it a critical focal point for conservation efforts.
By addressing the threat of fisheries bycatch on a large enough scale, we can prevent the extirpation of the critically endangered East Pacific leatherback. In collaboration with local fisher cooperatives, the Vice Ministry of Fisheries, nonprofit organizations, and academic partners, this multi-phase bycatch reduction program aims to safeguard these majestic creatures and their marine habitats.
Project Components
By using the tested methods of technology below across collective fishing practices, we are helping substantially to reduce the accidental capture of leatherbacks.
Background & Goals
Ecuador is one of the first countries in the world to constitutionally recognize the Rights of Nature.
This approach reimagines our relationship with the natural world, viewing it not as property to exploit, but as a living system with its own right to exist, thrive, and evolve. At The Leatherback Project, we are working to bring this legal framework to life by using it as a foundation for conservation efforts that support both biodiversity and local livelihoods through sustainable fishing practices.
Why is the leatherback sea turtle important to fishing communities?
The leatherback sea turtle has been nicknamed the “fisherman’s best friend”. These gentle giants play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. By feeding primarily on jellyfish, leatherbacks help control jellyfish populations, which in turn protects fish larvae, an essential food source for many fish species and a foundation of healthy fisheries. In this way, leatherbacks indirectly support fish abundance, making them valuable allies to coastal communities that depend on fishing for their livelihoods.
What is our primary goal?
Our goal is to translate that legal commitment into meaningful, long-term safeguards through the framework of the Rights of Nature. Iluminar El Mar puts this belief into action. In partnership with coastal communities, we are co-developing solutions that reduce bycatch while supporting the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on the sea.
Impact & Results
Phase 1 Implementation
Together with our collaborators and local partners, we ran a pilot study to determine whether green LED lights could reduce bycatch without negatively affecting fishers' target species in the Ecuadorian artisanal gillnet fishery.
Results are in and they are promising!
The lights work by taking advantage of differences in how species see. Sea turtles, like humans, can detect the green LED lights and avoid the nets. Most target fish, however, don’t distinguish the lights from the blue ocean, so catch rates aren’t significantly affected.
We found a significant reduction in the capture of threatened species, including sea turtles, sharks, rays, and cetaceans, with no substantial decrease in catch by weight for most target fish. While some variations occurred, the overall outcome strongly supports the use of LED lights as a low-cost, scalable bycatch solution. A majority of fishers want to continue using the lights and said they would be willing to invest in them.
Phase 2 Implementation
Earlier in 2025, we held a workshop to survey fishers' experiences, preferences, and insights. The group then voted on the schematic to be used in the next round of trials. This co-designed approach ensures that the solution is not only scientifically sound but also locally relevant and sustainable for long-term use.
We are hoping to deploy this next-generation setup across 100 vessels in 3 years, expanding to new coastal communities and reaching 400 fishers.
This simple yet effective solution holds tremendous potential.
When deployed across 100 vessels over the course of a single fishing season, we project a substantial reduction in bycatch rates.
Below, we estimate the following numbers of marine species saved from accidental capture. In five years, we expect this initiative to drive a substantial further decline in bycatch, protecting even more marine life.
Be A Part of the Movement
Iluminar El Mar is more than a research project.
It’s a growing movement co-created with the very people who know the ocean best. Together, we can light the way toward a sustainable solution that benefits marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Explore how your generosity will power vital progress in our LED light trials.
