WO2005039277A2

WO2005039277A2 - Method and device for handling a fishing longline in connection with a fishingboat

Info

Publication number: WO2005039277A2
Application number: PCT/NO2004/000319
Authority: WO
Inventors: Asbjørn I. LARSEN
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-20
Filing date: 2004-10-20
Publication date: 2005-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2006-04-20
Also published as: WO2005039277A3; NO318540B1; NO20034675A; NO20034675D0

Abstract

A description is proved of a method for operation of a fishing line in connection with a fishing boat, for the handling of fish that are removed from the line while the line is being hauled in. The essential feature of the Method is that the fish are caused to fall down into a reception container (2) filled with water (seawater) on the outside of the boat where, with the assistance of the current of seawater along the boat's side, the fish are carried to a conveyor section (5) downstream of the reception container, from which the fish are conveyed upwards and on board the boat for further processing. A description of a device for the application of the method is also provided.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A FISHING LINE IN CONNECTION WITH A FISHING BOAT

The invention relates to a method for operation of a fishing line in connection with a fishing boat, for handling fish that are removed from the line while the line is being hauled in. Specifically, the invention relates to the handling of fish that are removed from the line while the line is being hauled in, and where the fish are transferred for further processing, such as to a bleeding bin. The invention also relates to a device as defined in the preamble of claim 7. A line consists of a main line to which are fastened a number of snoods at regular intervals along the line. A hook is then fastened to the free end of each snood. The invention has to do with an automatic line hauler mounted on the boat's rail and that is used to haul the line in on board the boat. When the line is pulled on board the boat with a line hauling machine (line hauler), the line is carried with the catch on board the boat by a device that removes the fish from the hook on the line and transports the fish automatically on board the boat and into the bleeding bin without it coming into contact with a roller man with the gaff hook. Another term for "roller man" is a "gaffer", and for the term "gaff hook" the term

"gaff" can also be used. To the extent that a "roller man" is used to catch hold of the fish when the fish falls off or is removed from the hook, this is one of the heaviest and most exposed jobs on board a fishing boat that operates long-lining. The work is monotonous, the roller man is exposed to wind and weather, and there is a high risk of repetitive strain injury in the arms and shoulders. Consequently, this work can be characterised as highly labour-intensive during rough weather at sea. For the fishing industry on shore, the poor quality of fish with gaff damage is a big problem in fillet production, as valuable flesh must be cut away. This represents a financial loss in the form of lost use of the fish raw material. It is also a labour- intensive task to cut out the damaged parts of the fillet, where there is blood extravasation in the flesh because of "gaff" damages. One of the objects of the invention is to eliminate such disadvantages of the previously known methods of handling fish caught with the use of lines. There are previously known devices for automatic dehooking and reference is made to Norwegian patent application No. 790472, US patent No. 1.777.783, and Norwegian patents Nos. 146.303 and 157.153. An object of the invention is to provide for a new method and a device for handling the fish that is removed from the hook on the line and to transport the fish automatically on board the boat and into the bleeding bin. It is also an object of the invention to produce a new solution without the need to use a "roller man" with a "gaff hook". The other objects of the invention are: - To achieve a better working environment on board the fishing boat. - To prevent the fish getting flesh wounds by the treatment. - To produce fish of better quality as a result of improved treatment of the catch. - To improve the economy of the crew, since the number of crew on board can be reduced. - To enhance the profitability of firms in the fishing industry as a result of the improved quality of the fish. The characteristic feature of the method according to the invention is that the fish are caused to fall down into a reception container filled with water (seawater) on the outside of the boat and then, assisted by the current of seawater along the boat's side, the fish are carried into a conveyor section downstream of the reception container, from which the fish are conveyed upwards and on board the boat for further processing. The preferred embodiments of the device are stated in the dependent claims 2-6. The essential feature of the device as per invention is that it consists of a reception container and a conveyor section that are designed to be arranged on the outside of the boat for collecting the fish that have been dehooked, and to bring them on board the boat, where all or part of the reception container is constructed of a material which allows water to flow through in order to effect the transfer of the fish from the reception container to the conveyor section. The preferred embodiments of the device are stated in the dependent claims 8-

12. The main difference between the invention and the mentioned patents NO- 790472, US-1.777.783, NO-146.303 and NO-157.153 is that the fish can now be dehooked up at the ship's rail and using another dehooking system than the first- mentioned of these patents. Instead of the fish being brought in over the rail and into the boat, the fish fall back into the sea and into a reception well that lies partly submerged in the sea. Although reference is made to an endless conveyor belt, other methods can be envisaged for bringing the fish on board to the bleeding line, such as the use of a collecting net, and the fish being may be lifted on board. When the line is being hauled in, the boat always has a certain propulsion, approximately 2-3 knots, and a stream of water arises running through the reception well, from front to rear, and the water including the dehooked fish is pressed backward and carried through the inlet to and into the conveyor section. Here the fish is taken up by the conveyor belt and carried up over the rail where it falls down into, for example, a bleeding bin, directly under the outlet from the conveyor. The fish is thereafter processed in the usual manner. The system also uses a different dehooking system than the comparable solutions. According to Norwegian patent application 790472 the fish is dehooked in tube B that lies against the surface of the sea. The common practice is to use both "sinkers" and "floats" on the line, and there are frequently "knots" on the line when it is set. When the line is hauled in, the "sinkers/floats" must be removed from the line by the crew so that they do not get into the "line coiler" that hauls in the line. The dehooking system in the patent D1 is unable to execute this operation, since as per NO-790472 the part B is outside the crew's working area. The automatic line hauler as per invention will markedly improve the quality of the fish, as flesh wounds will be avoided, which occurs frequently in conventional long- lining with "gaffing" of the fish in the rail roller. The "roller man" can to a far greater degree concentrate on processing the catch, such as bleeding, washing the fish, and storage, so as to ensure optimum quality. A detailed description of the invention is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the automatic line hauler mounted on the outer side of the boat's rail. Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail section of the reception well and the conveyor casing from Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a drawing viewed from the side (cross section) of the automatic line hauler. Figure 4 shows the automatic line hauler viewed from above. The description refers firstly to Figure 1 , which shows a device for hauling in of a line 12, said device consisting of a reception well 2 and a conveyor casing 5 that are built together to form a single unit. The line hauler is in the form of a primary rail roller with fish dehooker 1 to remove the fish from the hook, a reception well 2 with secondary rail roller 3 where said fish (on the line's 12 snoods) first enter the system and a conveyor casing 5 in which is arranged a conveyor belt. After the fish has been removed from the hook in the primary rail roller, said fish falls down into the reception well 2, directly under said primary rail roller 1. A primary rail roller consists of a number of parallel rollers through which the line is drawn, and said rollers are placed so close to one another that the fish cannot pass through and are thus removed from the line hook. The reception well 2 comprises a container open at the top for reception of fish. The entire reception well 2 is basically made of wall elements of perforated steel plate, or grid, grill or similar elements so that there is a good stream of water into and through said reception well. Alternatively, only the front side wall 2a of said well 2 is of the mentioned perforated material permitting the passage of water, while the rest of the well plates 2b are of normal plate material. In figure 2, for example, the perforated openings or vertical slits in the front plate 2b are shown with reference number 30. For the rest the bottom surface of the well and the front side surface 2a of the well form from its top a downward-inclining surface. As appears in the enlarged section in Figure 2, the well's open top 24 is above the water line 26, while the rest of said well is below water. The fish thus fall into the water in the well. The fish can only be carried out of the well with the water current 28, and backward to the rear edge of said well and in through an opening to the conveyor 5. The conveyor also has a lower section that is designed to be under water. The back part of the conveyor bottom is also designed to let water through, i.e. out at the back (or downstream). Inside the conveyor cover 5 is mounted an endless conveyor belt 5 on which said belt are mounted a number of carriers in the form of trays, grids or similar. A drive gear not specifically shown is designed to drive the conveyor belt that is used to carry the fish from the volume of water in the conveyor well and up to the boat's rail 11 for further processing, such as in a bleeding unit. The conveyor cover forms a closed casing whose lower section 5 forms a chamber with wall elements through which water can flow, in the same manner as in the reception well. The conveyor belt can be set in a vertical position or with a suitable oblique position. From the top of the conveyor the fish fall down into a bleeding bin 9 on board the vessel. In the front edge (upstream) of the conveyor cover 5 there is an opening 4 that forms a fluid connection with the opening in the back edge of the reception well. The reception well and the conveyor unit can form a single combined unit, such as indicated in the figures 1. The unit of the reception well and the conveyor unit is designed to be placed affixed to the boat's rail 11 and mounted on the outside of the boat's side in such a way that the other parts of said reception well and conveyor unit respectively are under water when the system is in use. With this at least two advantages are achieved: Firstly, the fish will fall into the water when they are dehooked, thus reducing the risk of damage to the surface of the flesh of the fish. Secondly, it allows one to take advantage of the fact that when the boat moves forward at a speed of 2-3 knots, a stream of water arises moving at the same speed through the reception well, from front to back, and the water including the dehooked fish in the primary rail roller 1 flows back and into the conveyor section 5 where the fish are caught by the conveyor belt 13 and are conveyed lying on the carriers 7 up to the bleeding bin and out through the outlet 8 and straight into the bleeding bin 9. A control valve 10 regulates start, speed and stop of the conveyor 5. The fish are now automatically transported in the line hauler, without "gaffing", on board the boat. While in operation, the automatic line hauler is fixed to the boat's rail 11. Figure 3 shows in cross section how the line hauler unit as per invention is placed relative to the boat's side 19 and rail 11. Figure 4 shows a similar plane view of the line hauler unit as installed to the rail 11 of the boat. The line hauler unit as per invention is designed as an integral unit which using the boat's winches can be mounted and demounted to the boat's rail. It can also be set out on the outside of the boat's rail using a hydraulic system for mounting and demounting. This again means that the unit can be stored in an appropriate storage space on board and mounted when the lines are to be hauled in.

Summary: The fish 15 enter with the line 12 through the secondary rail roller 3 (a leader roller) and where the primary rail roller with fish dehooker 1 removes said fish from the hook on said line 12, and said fish fall into the water in the reception well 2. The fish are then carried into the conveyor 5 through the inlet 4 in the conveyor 5 because of the stream of water through the reception well and as a result of the incline in the bottom of said well 2. The conveyor 5 with carriers 7, and which is driven by a hydraulic motor 6, carries the fish upward in said conveyor 5 and out through the outlet 8 in the top of said conveyor 5. After the fish are carried out of the outlet 8 in the conveyor 5, they fall straight down into the bleeding bin 9 on board the boat. The conveyor is operated by the "roller man" via a control valve 10.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. Method for operation of a fishing line (12) in connection with a fishing boat, for handling fish (15) that are removed from the line while said line is being hauled in, characterised in that said fish are caused to fall down into a reception container (2) filled with water (seawater) on the outside of the boat where, assisted by the current of seawater along said boat's side, said fish are carried to a conveyor section (5) downstream of the reception container, from which said fish are conveyed upwards and on board said boat for further processing.

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that a reception container (2) is used through which water flowing along the boat/ship's side can flow when the boat moves in the sea, which water transfers the fish to the conveyor section (5).

3. Method according to claims 1-2, characterised in that a reception well (2) is used with the upper part open at the top (24) situated above the water line (26), and a lower part that is situated in the sea below the water line.

4. Method according to any preceding claims, characterised in that a funnel- shaped reception container with an upper part open at the top (2) is used, the front wall (3) of said container being formed by a material through which water can flow, such as perforated plate, grid, grill or similar.

5. Method according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the fish are conveyed on board using an endless conveyor belt (13) or conveyor band, comprising carriers (7) that catch the fish in the water in the lower part of the conveyor section (5).

6. Method according to any preceding claim, characterised in using a reception container (2) and a conveyor section (5) forming a single unit are used, in that there is a fluid connection (4) between the container and the conveyor section.

7. Device of a line hauler system in connection with a fishing boat, for the handling of fish (15) that are removed from a line (12) while said line is being hauled in, characterised in that a reception container (2) and a conveyor section (5) are designed to be arranged on the outside of the boat to catch fish (15) that have been dehooked, and where said fish are carried on board the boat, where all or parts of said reception container (2) are made from a material which permits water to flow through (4) in order to effect the transfer of said fish from said reception container (2) to said conveyor section (5).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the reception container (2) comprises an upper part open at the top (24) that is designed to lie above the water line (26), and a lower part that lies in the sea below the water line when the line hauler is in use.

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims 7-8, characterised in that the reception container (2) is in the shape of a funnel open at the top, and where the front wall (2) of said container is formed of a material which permits water to flow through, such as perforated plate, grid, grill or similar.

10. Device according to any of the preceding claims 7-9, characterised in that the conveyor section (5) comprises a lower closed cover part that is fluid-connected with the reception container, in the lower part of which the endless conveyor belt's (13) lower part is designed to catch the fish (15) that are transferred from said reception container (2), in that said conveyor belt (13) stretches up to the boat's rail for delivery of said fish for further processing, such as ejecting said fish into a bleeding bin (9).

11. Device according to any of the preceding claims 7-10, characterised in that the endless conveyor belt (13) comprises carriers (7) arranged to catch the fish as mentioned.

12. Device according to any of the preceding claims 7-11 , characterised in that the reception container (2) and the conveyor section (5) form a single unit with a fluid connection (4) between the reception container and said conveyor section.