Since August 13 of this year, fishermen in New Brunswick have been forced to withdraw traps and stop fishing 35 times after spotting North Atlantic right whales.
But a new pilot program in the Southwest aims to keep lobster and crab fishing boats on the water.
Crab fisherman Greg Beckerton and two lobster fishermen, Judson Mitchell and Peter Mawhinney, are testing five new types of lineless gear. They plan to select two for a broader test this spring.
Traditional fishing gear uses rope connecting traps on the ocean floor to a buoy on the surface.
There are estimated to be only 350-360 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, so whenever a whale is spotted the area is closed to fishing to prevent the risk of entanglement.
Beckerton hopes alternative fishing gear that reduces the use of traditional lines will allow fishing to continue when whales are in the area.
“If we were operating in a confined space, we could use this equipment and it would certainly be an advantage,” he said.
Traps appear on the surface after a signal
Following numerous fishery closures over the past four years in his fishing grounds off the coast of Saint Andrews, Beckerton volunteered to take part in the scientific study, a collaboration between the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Fundy North Fishermen’s Association is testing ropeless, on-demand technology to enable lobster and crab fishermen to remain on their fishing grounds during whale watching closures.
Hanna Vatcher, a tackle technologist for the federation, spent a week on the water with Beckerton teaching him how to use on-demand, ropeless tackle from five different manufacturers.
“I think it’s really important for collectors to have this equipment in their hands and see it working on their vessel,” she said. “At the end of the day, it helps the fishermen and the whales, and that’s what we’re all about.”
The on-demand equipment works using acoustic signals, Vatcher explained.
Once the traps are in the water, they can be withdrawn by sending a signal from a mobile phone that releases the coiled rope and buoys.
Some models have balloons that, when a signal is sent, inflate and lift the traps to the surface.
“We worked in a variety of conditions. Yesterday was very foggy. It was hard to see the buoys. At times we could only see about 50 meters away from each other, but the units still showed up,” she said of the landing gear system tests.
“And for us, getting the system back on board is a success and that’s happened a lot this week, which is great.”
Traps adapted to the Bay of Fundy
Vatcher and her colleagues are collecting data and will provide feedback to hardware developers as part of the study.
“We’ve definitely noticed that some systems perform differently when there are stronger currents or tides, and that’s something we need to be mindful of.”
She added that the reports will help developers make modifications to the equipment to adapt it to the unique conditions of the Bay of Fundy.
Darlene Norman-Brown is deputy director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, which oversees all of southwestern New Brunswick, excluding Grand Manan Island.
She said it was a “vital project” for those regularly threatened with closures following sightings of North Atlantic right whales.
“We have the highest tides in the world, the strongest currents. So it’s the most challenging environment to test this equipment,” Norman-Brown said.
“If we don’t do that, and the government orders them to acquire this equipment, there’s a risk that they’ll invest money in something that might be ideal in other areas but won’t withstand the currents and tides here.”
After Beckerton and the other two fishermen try out the new types of tackle, they will meet and choose the two they think have the most potential.
“We hope that everyone will automatically choose the same equipment, but if not, then … we will ask them to come together, compare notes and make a decision,” Norman-Brown said.
During the spring, crab and lobster fishermen will test selected fish during the season.
Norman-Brown says that once the on-demand, ropeless system is chosen, individual fishermen will be able to make their own decisions about purchasing the units.
It’s not the end of traditional equipment
However, she does not anticipate on-demand ropeless systems completely replacing traditional equipment and said the goal of the testing is to find a solution that can be implemented in the event of trail closures.
But Beckerton said many of his fellow fishermen fear it could mean the end of their traditional gear.
“A lot of them are afraid that this is where we’re going to have to go,” he said. “We’ve had colleagues ask me how it’s going, and some of them don’t like it when I say, ‘Well, it’s working.’”
According to the Canadian Conservation Federation, fishermen will need to obtain a special licence to use these systems during the area closures.
“We certainly don’t want to see fishermen lose their livelihoods. It’s a very important industry in Atlantic Canada,” Vatcher said.
“We have a lot of empathy for fishermen who are going through a stressful period. So being able to help them continue fishing while they are locked down is super important.”
