Sea Pact funding support for Blue Ocean Gear's development of a smart crustacean trap

Sea Pact is providing funding support to Blue Ocean Gear to develop a trap that helps lobster and crab fishermen use more sustainable practices by providing real-time, operationally-relevant information regarding how much catch is in the trap to the fishermen onshore. This information will allow estimates of where the target species are most abundant, the optimal periodicity and route to use for trap retrieval, and whether the unintended, smaller bycatch species are escaping the trap as intended. Using this type of fishing trap will result in an increase in the efficiency of fishing operations by reducing the amount of fuel used to run normal operations, and by improving their catch per unit effort as measured in fuel use. In addition, data on the performance of traps set in various locations can be trended over time. This novel design can be utilized to help fishermen trap crustaceans with a reduced impact on the environment. A secondary benefit of this trap design involves helping to locate traps as soon as possible after they are lost or entangled, reducing the amount of damage to the ocean environment or animals. The trap system includes instrumentation to provide real-time location of the buoy to shore. This will enable detection of large movements of the buoy, which may indicate entanglement or wandering of the gear. This device will facilitate recovery of lost or entangled gear by identifying where immediate retrieval efforts should be focused.

Derelict fishing gear has an overall negative impact on the ocean environment by continuing to catch various species, entangling mammals, and becoming entangled in boat propellers. Derelict crab traps are a large problem off the West Coast, where whale entanglements are occurring at an increasing rate over the last few years. Fifty-seven whales were entangled in fishing gear during 2015 off the coast of California, many of which were due to commercial Dungeness crab traps. Solutions to help locate lost gear more quickly have the potential to reduce these impacts on the marine ecosystem.

Specific metrics for this project include: 1) Assembly of two prototype units of an innovative trap, buoy, and communications system. Software, mechanical, and electrical engineering documentation will be maintained by Blue Ocean Gear following standard best practices. 2) Evaluation of ability to provide catch information to fishermen and impact their operations in a positive manner following field tests. 4) Effectiveness in locating lost traps, as documented by the time and accuracy with which large movements of a buoy can be determined after they have occurred. Results from the simulated lost gear test will be documented.

The advantages of this project are both economic and environmental. By creating a way to optimize their operations and potentially save fuel, the fishermen reduce their costs while also reducing the environmental impact of their fishing operations through less pollution into the water. Aiding in the detection and early retrieval of lost gear will reduce the negative impact of derelict gear on the ocean environment and fisheries.