Tag Archives: ropeless gear technology

Future of right whale safe fishing gear could be in Southern waters

Getting heavy ropes out of the water column in Atlantic Coast saltwater fisheries is key to averting the extinction in our lifetimes of the North Atlantic right whale. Northeastern and Canadian lobstering and crabbing operations are deeply invested in heavy traps and the ropes used to access them, so most of the discussions about ropeless gear technology have a decidedly New England accent attached. However, red snapper hasn’t completely chased out pot fishing for black sea bass in South Atlantic waters, so fishers in this part of the world — albeit using lighter lines — are also in the conversation. >click to read< 19:25

Canada implements the $20M Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced the new $20 million Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund, to help harvesters in Atlantic Canada and Quebec adopt whalesafe gear into their commercial fishing operations. Over the next two years, this funding will be available to support Indigenous and non-indigenous harvesters, not-for-profit organizations, academia and other partners to purchase, test and refine existing whalesafe gear, such as low breaking strength rope and ropeless gear technology, with the goal of making them operational by 2023. The Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund will also provide support to Canadian manufacturers to encourage domestic supply of commercially-ready whalesafe gear by 2023. >click to read< 14:53