2 months old This article is more than 2 months old Birds that became tangled in baited lines appear to be scared off by coloured pipes Crewmen attaching bird-scaring lines to an industrial trawler in Namibia. Photograph: RSPB Crewmen attaching bird-scaring lines to an industrial trawler in Namibia. Photograph: RSPB ChrisBaraniuk Tue 19 Jan 2021 04.55 EST Last modified on Wed 20 Jan 2021 05.14 EST A cheap and simple change to the equipment used by Namibian fishing boats is saving tens of thousands of vulnerable seabirds annually, researchers have estimated. Some industrial fleets often use long lines fitted with thousands of baited hooks, which attract seabirds. In attempting to snatch away the bait, the birds can become tangled in the lines and die.