Smart Buoys

Fishery Type

Gillnets, Longline, Pots/Traps, Purse Seine

Ocean Region

Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, Southern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Hake, American Lobster, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks and Rays

Smart buoys provide constant location information so that gear can be tracked remotely, which helps fishers locate gear if it has come loose or moved in a storm. Importantly, it also can alert fishers when buoy lines are being dragged, for example provide continuous real-time location data of entangled whales which would greatly increase disentanglement success. In addition, the smart buoys can be setup to alert fishers if fixed nets begin to drift and help in the recovery of lost nets preventing ghost fishing. Smart buoys can also be designed to provide a suite of environmental data such as the depth profile of the buoy when dragged underwater due to strong storms and currents. Therefore, fishers know in advance what sets are recoverable and which are currently submerged at any given time. They can then manage hauling plans around recoverable gear which can greatly reduce trip time and fuel costs.

Smart Buoys

Manufacturers

Blue Ocean Gear