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Multibeam sonar technology improves catch rates and profitability 28 April 10

“The average catch of our fleet has been quite low due to bad weather conditions and the small schools of fish available,” says the veteran fisherman. “However, on the last trip while other skippers only landed two tonnes, I managed to catch five tonnes of sardines/anchovies.”

“I have worked for a long time with an Omnidirectional Sonar but now with WASSP, I’ve changed my practice and am now able to better locate the fish schools.”

Greg Fletcher from Electronic Navigation Ltd, the manufacturer of the WASSP Multibeam Sonar, says Rico’s comments are typical of a growing number of satisfied customers from around the world.
 

“Commercial fishermen using WASSP in markets as diverse as Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia, report improved catch rates, reductions in the time spent fishing, and appreciated fuel savings due to a greater understanding of the seafloor environment.”
 

ENL designed WASSP to produce a wide 120-degree swath from port to starboard to accurately profile the seafloor and water column. The swath is comprised of 112 dynamic beams, which are stabilised with the addition of a motion sensor.
 

Multibeam sonars have traditionally been the domain of hydrographic surveyors and marine scientists but with ENL’s new technology and production processes, the technology is now available to the commercial fishing industry. “We’ve made it more compact, easier to use and much more affordable says Fletcher. “One Scottish fisherman told me it paid for itself in one night!”

Fishermen are using this technology to fill their quotas more efficiently and profitably, says Fletcher.
“It reduces the number of days spent at sea, fuel costs, crew costs and operational costs – and of course carbon footprint, which is something governments and consumers are demanding more and more of.

“It’s getting to the stage where if fishermen don’t invest in new technology they will be left behind or forced out of the industry.”
 

Designed and manufactured by ENL in New Zealand under ISO9001/2008 certification, WASSP Systems are designed, developed and tested to meet the rigorous, international demands of the Commercial Fishing Industry – lobster fishing, trawlers, seiners and line fishers.

In addition to a Multibeam Sonar, the WASSP system provides skippers with a Single Beam Fish Finder, a Triple Beam Fish Finder, a Real-time 3D Seafloor Profiler, 2D bathymetric Contour Map, Seafloor hardness map, Sonar View and a Side Scan Sonar.

The WASSP Multibeam Sonar is available in two different frequencies, 160 kHz for 200m and the new 80 kHz that offers a depth capability of 500M.

Founded in 1946, Electronic Navigation is a privately-owned New Zealand business with over 60 years experience in the Marine Industry.
 

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