Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K75/00—Accessories for fishing nets; Details of fishing nets, e.g. structure
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K73/00—Drawn nets
  • A01K73/12—Nets held vertically in the water, e.g. seines

Definitions

• the invention relates to a seine or line device arranged for submersion into a mass of water, at least parts of the seine or line being formed of a material exhibiting improved sig- nal-reflecting properties or being provided with elements exhibiting improved signal-reflecting properties.
• seine is meant, in what follows, a material which is formed of seine twine, the seine twines being knotted together to form meshes of a mesh width suitable for the pur- pose. Different types of seine twine can be used in the production of one and the same seine.
• cages In connection with the fish farming in oceans and lakes, cages are used, in which the walls and bottom are constituted substantially by a bag formed of seine hanging from a float- ing device at the surface. This floating device itself is anchored to the floor by solid chains and anchors.
• the seine bag can be connected by lines and/or chains to, for example, a bottom hoop which is also suspended from the surface, but which is positioned below the lower edge of the seine bag.
• the bottom hoop is attached at points to the seine bag with the purpose of bracing the seine bag to limit deformation upon external influence on the bag.
• the equipment which can monitor the shape of the seine bag in its entire extent will be of great interest.
• the equipment could be used for several things :
• a common way of detecting objects under water is to use different forms of sonar/echo sounders.
• known equipment will, to a certain degree, detect signal reflection (echo) from the seine wall and moorings, but owing to the fact that material used in prior art seine walls does not provide sufficient reflections, it will not be possible to provide satisfactory and reliable observations of the shape of the seine bag.
• the invention has for its object to remedy or to reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.
• the object of the invention is to provide an artificial contrast in the seine so as to enable a reliable detection of the shape of the seine bag by the use of sonar/echo sounding techniques known per se. This may be done by the use of: • spots of high-contrast material which is integrated into or attached to the seine, for example in different patterns in different portions of the seine bag, for example varying across the depth of the seine bag, so that the different portions of the seine bag are identifiable;
• a detecting unit could be used, for example an echo sounder, which is positioned near the seine bag, for continuously measuring the deformation.
• the detecting unit must receive a sufficient amount of information to be able to form a 3D image of a selected portion of the cage. Therefore, it is not enough to have a single sensor, and the detecting unit must, therefore, include several sensors. These may be mounted in the same unit or function in a network of sensors in which the gather- ing of information is coordinated.
• the information may be presented, for example, on a computer screen in a 3D presentation, so that it is easy to see an un- desired deformation. It is also conceivable to carry out current video image analysis with a computer, so that an alarm can be given if the actual shape of the seine bag differs substantially from the desired shape.
• the invention is not limited to a seine bag for a cage for the fish farming, but also includes a seine for other applications in which net-like or seine-like devices are placed submerged in a mass of water for catching fish etc., holding caught live fish etc., closing off an area, and similar things, in which there is a need to detect the position of the device in the mass of water.
• the invention also relates to a line to be used submerged in a mass of water, the line having properties as described above.
• the invention relates more specifically to a seine device to be used submerged in a mass of water, a plurality of seine meshes being formed by one or more thread- shaped materials being joined together, characterized by the seine including one or more signal reflection means which are localized to at least one seine portion and are arranged for the reflection of an acoustic signal emitted from a sound source .
• the signal-reflecting properties of a first seine portion are preferably different from the signal-reflecting properties of a second seine portion.
• the signal reflection means are preferably taken from the group consisting of reflector elements attached to one or more seine meshes, a wire spun into the mesh-forming seine twine, twine coating on mesh- forming seine twine and impreg- nating fluid for mesh-forming seine twine.
• the reflector element is preferably formed of a solid, particularly a metal, or a combination of several solids, with a resulting specific weight of at least 1.1 g/cm 3 .
• the signal reflection means of the first seine portion are advantageously arranged in a pattern which is different from the pattern of the second seine portion.
• the invention relates more specifically to a line to be used submerged in a mass of water, characterized by at least part of the line exhibiting signal-reflecting properties which are different from the signal-reflecting properties of other parts of the line.
• the signal -reflecting properties are preferably provided by wire which is twisted into the line, or a coating and/or impregnating fluid applied to at least some of the strands of the line.
• the invention in a third aspect relates to a system for detecting a seine or a line as described above, submerged in a mass of water, characterized by the system comprising an acoustic transmitter which is arranged to provide, in a controlled manner, acoustic signals in the mass of water; at least one signal receiver which arranged to receive acoustic signals reflected from the seine or line, is located in the mass of water near the seine or line; a signal-processing unit which is connected, in a sig- nal-communicating manner, with the at least one signal receiver and is arranged to process the signals reflected from the seine or line; and a display screen which is arranged for the visualization of the reflected, processed acoustic signals.
• the signal-processing unit is preferably arranged to compare the actual position of the seine or line, generated from the reflected, processed acoustic signals, to the normal position of the seine or line and, when a predetermined deviation from the normal position is exceeded, to be able to generate an alarm.
• Figure 1 shows schematically a side view of a rearing cage, in which the seine bag is deformed because of currents in the mass of water
• Figure 2 shows schematically a side view of a rearing cage with a detecting apparatus, the seine bag being constructed from materials exhibiting different signal-reflecting properties
• Figure 3a shows a schematic section of a seine in which seine twines with different signal-reflecting properties form a recognizable pattern
• Figure 3b shows a schematic section of a seine in which reflector elements are arranged in different recog- nizable patterns
• Figure 3c shows a schematic section of a seine impregnated with a signal-reflecting impregnating fluid
• Figure 4a shows a line in which some strands exhibit an enhanced signal-reflecting property
• Figure 4b shows a line impregnated with a signal-reflecting impregnating fluid.
• FIG. 1 shows a typical situation, in which a seine bag 11 of a cage 1 exhibits, under the influence of currents in a mass of water 2 in which the cage 1 is placed, a shape which differs from the regular one, as appears from figure 2.
• the seine bag 11 is suspended, in a manner known per se, from a floating hoop 12 floating at a water surface 21, and the cage 1 is secured by lines 13 to several mountings 14 arranged on a seabed 15. Further, the cage 1 is provided with the neces- sary walkways with railings 16.
• a bottom hoop 17 keeps the bottom portion of the seine bag 11 expanded.
• FIG. 2 shows the seine bag 11 in an ideal shape unaffected by currents in the mass of water 2.
• the seine bag 11 comprises several seine portions 11a, lib, lie arranged at dif- ferent depths, each seine portion being formed of materials providing different signal-reflecting properties.
• a control unit 3 for detecting the shape and position of the seine bag relative to surrounding elements, for example, the lines 13 by which the cage 1 is secured, is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the cage 1.
• the control unit 3 is arranged for emitting acoustic signals through a transmitter 31 arranged on the control unit 3 and submerged in the mass of water 2.
• the control unit 3 comprises a signal-processing unit 33, for example a computer which is in signal communication with the transmitter 31 and receivers 32 and possibly other control and monitoring devices (not shown) at the rearing facility.
• a display screen 34 is arranged for visualization of the reflected, processed acoustic signals.
• FIG 3a shows schematically a section of a seine Ilia which is arranged for the formation of a seine portion 11a, lib, lie, possibly a seine bag 11.
• the seine Ilia is formed by the use of at least seine twine 112, 113 exhibiting different signal-reflecting properties, for simplicity illustrated here with a vertically oriented type of twine 112 which is different from a horizontally oriented type of twine 113.
• seine portions with different signal- reflecting properties may be provided.
• Figure 3b shows schematically a section of a seine 111b which is arranged to form, in the same way as the seine Ilia, a seine portion 11a, lib, lie, possibly a seine bag 11.
• the seine 111b is formed, in a manner known per se, by the use of normal seine twine 114.
• Several reflector elements 115 are secured to the seine 111b, illustrated here with two different patterns to provide seine portions with different signal- reflecting properties.
• Figure 3c shows schematically a section of a seine 111c which is arranged, in the same way as the seine Ilia, 111b for the formation of a seine portion 11a, lib, lie, possibly a seine bag 11.
• the seine 111c is formed in a manner known per se by the use of standard seine twine 114.
• an impregnation means is applied, having satisfactory signal- reflecting properties so as to provide seine portions having better signal-reflecting properties than a seine formed in a manner known per se .
• Figure 4a shows a line 4a formed by being twisted from strands 41, 42 with different signal-reflecting properties, indicated here by several strands 42 with good signal reflection twisted together with several standard strands 41 and disposed in an appropriate place in the cord.
• the strand 42 with good signal reflection can be formed of, for example, a metal, preferably a metal with good corrosion properties, for example copper or lead.
• Figure 4b shows a line 4b which is formed of standard strands 41. At a suitable stage in the production process the line
• the lines described above with reference to the figures 4a and 4b can be provided in a dimension which is arranged for individual use, for example for securing a seine bag or a cage, or they may have a dimension which is arranged for the production of a seine material as it is described above with reference to figure 3a.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
• Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39886318

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2007
  • 2007-05-23 NO NO20072644A patent/NO326975B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-05-09 WO PCT/NO2008/000162 patent/WO2008143517A2/en active Search and Examination
  • 2008-05-09 CA CA002687652A patent/CA2687652A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-05-09 EP EP08753823A patent/EP2150102A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-05-12 CL CL2008001385A patent/CL2008001385A1/es unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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