New technology is opening the way for faster and easier handling of large gill nets, by using floatlines, says Danish company Fischernet.
The new method of mounting gill nets by machine makes it both economical and convenient to replace old type floats with floatlines, and they take up less space and are easier to handle. According to the company, two issues are important: a) the ability to produce floatlines that can be used in very deep water and b) making the mounting of gill nets with heavy floatlines possible.
The development of advanced heavy-duty sewing machines with electronic precision, as well as auto-mounting systems, has opened the way for using floatlines instead of floats for gill nets with large mesh depths. This development means that the gill-netter can handle more nets, when the bulky floats are no longer needed.
Fischernet has successfully introduced flex floatlines which can be used for regular, repeated fishing at 400m depth. Experiments are underway to begin fishing soon with flex floatlines in even deeper areas. "In-shore fishermen have been using floatlines for many years, but results for the past couple of years from introducing the new lines at very demanding deep water fishing in the Bay of Bisqay and in the rough water of the Norwegian Sea proves that more fishermen can have faster and easier handling of gill nets in the future using new types of flex floatlines," Viggo Fischer, manager of Fischernet, tells World Fishing.
