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Enhancing the acoustic detectability of fishing nets to prevent entrapment of cetaceans - MF0507
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Description
R&D
Summary Objectives:-
Develop and test the use of sonar reflectors on passive
fishing gears.
Key customer purpose:-
Fulfil Ministry commitments to the IWC and to the public to
reduce the by-catch of cetaceans in passive fishing gears. |
Objective
The main objective is to find a way of preventing cetaceans
from swimming into nets and drowning. Most of the research
will be done with the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus) but it is anticipated that some will also be done
with the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the harbour
porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The problem may be solvable
if the animals can be made to detect a net as an impassable
barrier well before they swim into it. The notion is to
attach suitable reflectors (acoustic "cat's eyes") which the
animals can detect at the maximum range of their sonar, but
which do not cause net handling problems.
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Time-Scale and Cost
From:
1993
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To:
1997
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Cost: £90,000 |
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Contractor / Funded Organisations
Loughborough Univ of Technology, Electri |
Keywords
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Fields of Study
Marine Fisheries |