Marco Flagg presents findings from the first North American ropeless fishing trials using Desert Star's ARC-1XD at the first Ropeless Consortium.

1. AN ‘ENDLESS SEASON’ OF
ROPELESS FISHING TRIALS
(JUNE-NOVEMBER 2018)
Presented by Marco Flagg, Desert Star Systems LLC, www.desertstar.com
Based on work with Fishing Associations MLA, ACA, GMFA and CWLA
Ropeless Fishing Consortium Meeting, November 6 2018, New Bedford, MA

2. Summary of 2018 ARC-1 Ropeless Sea Trials
Five Fishing Associations / Groups & Regions:
Acadian
Crabbing
Association
(ACA)
California
Dungeness
Crab Working
Group
Next Session Next Session Next Session Report Pending Presentation Focus
California
• First tests
of season
• Learning
how to run
a pilot
project
(classes,
sea trials,
gear
safety)
Cape Cod Bay
• Shallow
water trawls
• Short stub
rope (whale
safety)
• Single
operator
boat
Gulf of St.
Lawrence
• Bag
behavior in
high
currents
• Efficient
singles
hauling in
broadcast
mode
Bay of Fundy
• Deep water
fishing to
117 fathom
• Fast tidal
currents
• Anchor
cages
instead of
bags
Nova Scotia
LFA38 (Atlantic to
Fundy)
• Practical use in
LFA34
• Coordination
of multi-boat
operations
• How to launch
a ropeless
fishery

3. Summary of 2018 ARC-1 Ropeless Sea Trials
Overall Statistics
13 Fishing vessels outfitted/involved
63 ARC-1 acoustic releases used/delivered
Estimated 90 sea trial days across all boats
Estimated 700-1000 deployment & recovery cycles
(Estimates based on extrapolation of CWLA observed effort of eight sea
trial days per boat, 8-12 deployment & recovery cycles per test day

5. CWLA Sea Trial Goals:
 Determine if ropeless fishing is a workable
and realistic proposition for fishers in LFA34
 Have a tool in the arsenal for their members
to continue fishing during closures

6. How CWLA Went About It
Step 1
Fundamentals of system
components, operation,
servicing were taught &
practiced in the class
room, dockside and a
day at sea with all fishers
present

7. How CWLA Went About It
Step 2
1-2 days of training at
sea for each fisher

8. How CWLA Went About It
Step 3
Unsupervised sea days,
with each boat & crew
operating individually
(observers sometimes
present)

9. How CWLA Went About It
Step 4
Two-day ‘war games’,
with all three boats
setting and hauling
trawls in same area.
Captain’s decisions
coordinated by Ropeless
Fisher app.
(observers present)