Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Gathering or catching device with conveyer to boat
Patent
1993-10-19
1995-02-14
Bradley, P. Austin
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Gathering or catching device with conveyer to boat
A01K 8104
Patent
active
053883659
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the deployment of branch lines used in the so-called longline fishing industry. In particular, it relates to mechanical means to deploy branch lines with bait attached from a fishing vessel.
Whilst the invention may be equally well suited to a variety of other fishing methods and even locations, for convenience, the following description refers to the use of the inventive device in longline fishing. Any reference however to the use of the invention in such longline fishing is meant to encompass any form of fishing, where by suitable adaptation, the invention may be so used. Similarly, the device of the invention lends itself to the casting of other materials or substances besides bait, with or without lines attached and accordingly it must be understood that the invention is not limited solely to longline fishing or even to fishing in general.
PRIOR ART
The longline fishing technique is specifically utilised for tuna fishing. In this method, for example, each ship deploys up to 3,000 branch or tracer lines, each with baited hooks. The ship travels for say five hours at approximately 20 kph, feeding out the so-called longline (main line) which extends up to 100 kilometers. Each branch line is spaced approximately 33 meters apart, along the main line. Thus, a branch line is baited, attached to the main line and cast approximately at six second intervals. In other words, a branch line is cast every four to ten seconds for approximately five hours before the ship turns around, to retrace its path and bring in the main line and hopefully the day's catch.
A team of four or five people performs the function of casting the branch lines, which is necessarily labour intensive. One person selects the branch line, a second baits the line, a third deploys the line whilst a fourth clips the line onto the main line, which is fed into the sea from the rear of the ship.
Although the length of each branch line is 40 to 70 meters, it is only necessary to cast the line beyond the wake or turbulence of the ship. Thus, a minimum throw of some 12 to 15 meters is required. The bait typically weighs 100-300 grams.
The branch lines are cast from the stern of the ship on the port (left) side only. Casting to the port side results from right-handed throwing from a person standing at the stern of the ship. This manual deployment of branch lines contributes to significant reductions in fishing efficiency. Port side only branch line deployment, particularly when throwing into the wind, causes many of the baited branch lines to encounter the turbulence of the boat rather than be cast beyond it.
Since the bait does not sink quickly in these circumstances, it allows sea birds access to the baited hooks which, it is estimated, costs the Japanese fishing industry in southern waters alone a minimum of A$7 million annually in lost fishing effort. Sea birds, particularly albatrosses, also get caught on the baited hooks. This is itself becoming a serious conservation issue that could potentially threaten the fishing industry. Furthermore, gear damage and loss is also high when manual deployment is thus necessarily confined to the port side, only to be aggravated by the effects of strong winds and sea turbulence resulting in fouled lines, including their entanglement with propellers.
The present invention has therefore been conceived out of the need to mechanise branch line deployment in order to significantly reduce loss of bait to birds, minimise the mortality rate of sea birds including albatrosses, and reduce gear damage and loss. In addition, mechanisation would allow larger, more fuel efficient propellers to be utilised since at present, ships' operations have been compromised in order to reduce gear damage and bait loss arising from manual port side deployment of branch lines.
It will be readily appreciated that operating efficiency is vital in this industry where there is limited access to the resource being fished. Furthermore, the variability in deployment efficiency by individual cre
REFERENCES:
patent: 3466785 (1969-09-01), Shook
patent: 3710499 (1973-01-01), Tadano
patent: 4354667 (1982-10-01), Svendsen
patent: 4453330 (1984-06-01), Jorgensen-Dahl
patent: 4630388 (1986-12-01), Furlong
patent: 5165194 (1992-11-01), Jansson
Bradley P. Austin
Mah Chuck Y.
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