A DURABLE UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION AND LOCATION SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING GEAR

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR PERMANENT IDENTIFICATION OF FISHING GEARS. THE SELECTED TECHNIQUE FOR DURABLE MARKINGS AND LOCATION OF THE TRAWL AND THE LONG-LINE TYPES FOR FISHING GEARS WILL BE DEVELOPED AS A PROTOTYPE AND WILL BE TESTED IN TYPICAL FIELDCONDITIONS. TRAWL AND LONG-LINE FISHING GEARS REPRESENT A SIZABLE INVESTMENT BY THE FISHERMEN AND A RESPECTABLE PERCENTAGE OF THE REVENUE WHEN COMPARED TO THE YEARLY INCOME OF AN AVERAGE COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN. LONG-LINE GEARS (CONTAINING FEEDER LINES, DROP LINES, FLOATS, RADIO BEACONS, ETC.) COST AN AVERAGE OF $10K - $15K PER YEAR. THOUGH A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN CAN IDENTIFY THE LOCATION WHERE THE GEAR WAS INITIALLY LOST, IT CAN TAKE HIM UP TO SIX DAYS TO LOCATE THELOST GEAR, BECAUSE THE GENERAL AREA TO BE SEARCHED IS ABOUT 100 MILES. THE IMPACT OF THE LOST FISHING GEAR IS NOT LIMITED TO THE COST OF TIME AND THE COST OF FISHING OPPORTUNITIES TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN, BUT IT CAN ALSO REPRESENT DANGER TO OTHER VESSELS, MARINE MAMMALS, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES.