Summary
The ability of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) to distinguish differently colored netting materials was tested under controlled conditions to test gillnet color as a potential bycatch mitigation technique. Clear, green, and orange colored monofilament were tested in the form of a gillnet mimic in an enclosed tank containing 25 penguins. Orange colored monofilament line resulted in lower collision rates with the gillnet mimic (5.5%) in comparison with clear (35.9%) and green (30.8%) monofilament lines. Further testing under experimental conditions, accompanied by at-sea trials to verify effectiveness in varied light conditions is needed, as well as an assessment of the effect of gillnet color on the catch efficiency of target species.