The Stealth Rope is reported to be working very well on mid-water trawls according to its manufacturer Van Beelen of the Netherlands.
It is used to produce the front part of the trawl as it is made in two different sections and this allows the rope to splice very easily and faster than normal three-strand twines.
Stealth Rope mid-water trawls' larger opening, are easier to tow and decrease fuel consumption. This has been the case with mid-water trawls from Motueka Nets Ltd, of New Zealand, the first company to introduce the Stealth Rope in the front section of the gear. User vessels have been able to fish at higher speed using bigger trawls and they have been very successful in Chile, Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand, Van Beelen said.
Jackson Trawl Ltd of Scotland is using double-knotted Dyneema netting for large sections of mid-water trawls. This material helps to reduce drag and has a higher abrasion resistance than conventional netting products. Van Beelen says the savings in fuel helped offset the costs of the Dyneema.
