“Many fishermen are sceptical of ropeless fishing, and I was one of them.”
Throwing the gear out without the buoy line goes against what we’re used to.
But after two days working with Kim Sawicki and Sustainable Seas Technology, we’re now convinced it has real potential.
What Is Ropeless Fishing Gear — and How Does It Work?
Ropeless fishing gear, sometimes called “on-demand” gear, removes the need for vertical lines that run from the trap to a surface buoy. Instead, a remote-release system is used. When triggered, the buoy floats to the surface, allowing the fisher to haul the gear.
That means fewer entanglement risks for whales, sharks, and other protected marine species — and greater access to fishing grounds in restricted areas.
Trialing Ropeless Systems in California
CatchCamTechnologies were invited to take part in a project in Oxnard, California, working with Sustainable Seas Technology to observe how ropeless gear performs under commercial conditions.
Alongside Kim and her team, we rigged with two CatchCams and two SeaSensors across 10 deployments targeting lobster and California box crab.
“What an absolute huge achievement for us to be able to see issues and combat them before they happen in these depths! Thank you for creating this amazing tool that will certainly make a huge contribution to all of our other work”
Having cameras and sensors on the gear gave us a proper view of what was happening underwater. That helped us understand where the risks lay and how how to tighten up the process to mitigate them.
Key Learnings: Is Ropeless Right for Every Fishery?
Ropeless gear isn’t for everyone.
Most pot and trap fisheries don’t require this system, especially where entanglement isn’t a concern. But in areas like California, where there’s a real risk of whale entanglement in buoy lines, it’s a winner.
For instance, this technology has led to the opening of a new fishery for California box crab, providing fishers a viable, compliant way to work in sensitive areas.
Huge thanks to Kim for being such a generous host. We’re proud that Sustainable Seas Technologies are now using CatchCam in their ongoing work.
Looking forward to seeing what they do next!
Underwater Insights for Smarter Fishing
At CatchCam Technologies, we help teams like Kim’s build smarter fishing systems through better data and better visibility below the surface.
We offer:
- Custom camera and sensor systems
- Technical support for at-sea trials and gear testing
- Collaborative expertise and optimisation for existing setups
If you’re exploring ropeless systems, reducing bycatch, or simply want to understand how your gear behaves underwater, we’re here to help.
