On Demand Gear and Smart Buoy Technology
The Bay of Fundy's large tides and strong currents create a complex circulatory system that stirs up nutrients and fosters a diverse ecosystem. It is also the traditional seasonal habitat of North Atlantic Right Wales (NARWs) during their northern migration. While NARWs are changing their migratory patterns, the Bay of Fundy still acts as a regular home for NARWs, who travel to the Bay to feed. These endangered animals are still present every year, and are often present in the southwest Bay of Fundy very close to the opening of the lobster fishing season in LFA 36. There are several protocols in place to prevent NARWs becoming entangled in fishing gear.
When a NARW is spotted during the fishing season, all fishing gear that has vertical ropes in the water (endlines) must be removed from that area for at least 15 days to allow the whale to leave the vicinity. As a result, fishers in that area are forced to stop their work livelyhood and As the need to alter fishing practices to reduce the impact of fisheries grows, particularly the threat of entanglement posed by endlines (ropes) in the water column, on-demand line and buoy technology has gained prevalence as a potential mechanism to facilitate the coexistence between fisheries and species at risk. There is also the potential to remove or reduce the entanglement threat to other cetacean species.
Fundy North will be the first to test Smart Buoy technology under real fishing conditions in the Bay of Fundy. Expected outcomes of this project will include complementing existing ghost gear mitigation measures undertaken by Fundy North through the use of smart buoys; improving the relationship and level of engagement between whale experts, commercial harvesting groups, and First Nations on fisheries technology and innovation; establishing baseline estimates of risk and risk reduction in LFA 36; and determining the potential risk reduction offered by on-demand and smart buoy technologies in the LFA 36 lobster fishery.​
News
In August of 2024, CBC reporter Rhythm Rathi traveled to St. Andrews to experience some preliminary testing of the on-demand gear and smart buoys.
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The full article can be found here:
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-fishers-try-ropeless-gear-1.7293202
