An apparatus for reducing by-catch of seabirds or turtles during fishinginclude a fish hook (220) and a barrier or shield (227) mounted in a positionrelative to the fish hook (220) such that the barrier (227) reduces orprevents hooking of a seabird or turtle by the fish hook or ingestion of thehook by a seabird or turtle. The apparatus includes a degradable component(226) that degrades when placed in water such that when the degradablecomponent degrades the barrier moves away from the position relative to thefish hook or no longer exists to allow the fish hook to be taken by a fish.The degradable component (226) may be a retaining means or a mounting means.The degradable component may form part of, or all of, the barrier.
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