It will be developed a technological platform for longline fishing which should be an option for those operating line tools manually today. The purpose is to increase flexibility and efficiency the fisheries so that it becomes a more competitive alternative on fishing grounds where other gear is used today. The goal is that mechanization will also be more attractive for the coastal longline fisheries. The market potential is big - even internationally. Coastal Fisheries in Spain and Norway has been chosen to be the first target for the new product.
The current mechanization solutions requires, among other things, that the bait used is fairly uniform in terms of shape and consistency. An important goal is that the new technology will be able to allow automatic baiting with more heterogeneous bait such as sardines, shrimp and the like. Furthermore, the new technology should be able to separate the mainline from the snell so that maintenance of equipment can be carried out in a separate process which need not be parallel to the operational fishery. Another important objective is that several types of materials such as monofilament, can be used in the gear without causing problems for the mechanized solution.
Studies at SINTEF and NTNU, has shown that the longline fisheries have substantially lower environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint than some alternative gear. The project is expected to contribute positively to the development of more sustainable fisheries.
The project will be completed by the end of 2013.
