Scanmar is currently launching several new sensors and other technological solutions, which will be included in future solutions for active trawl control.
To avoid product copies, which the company says may harm the user, several of these products are patented.
The sensors, which now are in ordinary production, have been under development and testing in a number of countries worldwide. According to Scanmar, the feedback from the Nordic countries has been outstanding.
One of the new products is a Catch Sensor/Filling Indicator, which obtained patent approval in record time.
The Catch Sensor/Filling Indicator has three different operation modes; fish entrance, catch and filling of cod end:
Catch Sensor
The operation time of use between charging is 10 to 40 times longer than traditional sensors. The sensors are programmed based on fishing depth, vessel noise, etc., and the batteries can always be exploited in terms of the longest possible operation time, and still have a perfect signal transmission. Also, charging is possible within one hour due to new charging technology.
Filling Indicator
A patented Angle Sensor accurately indicates the GPS position when the fish enters the trawl. The fisherman will know exactly where the fish are, make a turn back, and avoid continuing without exactly knowing where to catch the fish. There has been a lot of feedback from fishermen who talk about how much fish they have been catching by taking a new sweep - compared to boats just continuing on the same course.
Traditional Catch Sensors work very poorly on the new trawls designed with square or T90 meshes, says Scanmar. These will be more and more common because of characteristics that improve water flow and fuel consumption compared to the 'old' cod ends. The filling indicator shows the angle of change, and therefore provides not only reliable, but also a more accurate indication compared to traditional sensors.
Since the Filling Indicator, as opposed to traditional sensors, displays filling of the cod end long before it is filled up to where the sensor is mounted, one can well prepare heaving, and also avoid overfilling and blowing the bag because of an unexpected big fish entry.
The Catch Sensor/Filling Indicator can easily be programmed to display each of the functions or both together. The sensor has a completely new design that allows it to withstand high pressure/physical impact without causing any need for service or repairs.
