Bubble-net –net of bubbles to catch fish
Abstract/Aim
The Bubble-net is a new type of fishing gear without physical nets, which aims to replace traditional fishing nets used to catch pelagic fish (sardines, mackerel, horse mackerel,…) by a net of bubbles. The idea came from watching a documentary about the feeding strategy of humpback whales, which emit a wall of bubbles around the fish, thus preventing their escape, behavior known as bubble net feeding. The great advantage of applying the Bubble net will be the elimination of the physical nets, therefore fishing will become more sustainable activity. The amount of fish caught can also be controlled, respecting quotas and eliminating the environmental risks that nets represent for marine ecosystems. Besides the validation of a new fishing technique, the project also aims to develop awareness raising of the fishing community, regarding the adoption of the new fishing technique and its involvement in solving the current problems of the sector (patent 104107).
Keywords
Fishing sustainability; New Fishing Gear
Partners
OPCENTRO – Cooperativa de Pesca Geral do Centro, CRL
Coordinator
MARE-Polytechnic of Leiria: Teresa Mouga – mougat@ipleiria.pt
Funding
540.715€ | PROMAR, Eixo III, Ações Coletivas // Duration 2007-2013