Crab Raft Inc — Department of Commerce SBIR Phase I: 9.2.04

Description

The North Atlantic Right Whale and other large marine species have experienced dramatic negative effects by entanglement with bottom set fishing gear. Crab Raft Inc. has developed, tested and demonstrated innovative, truly Rope-Less Fishing Gear, targeted primarily for the Crab and Lobster fishing industries. With no ropes, Crab Raft Inc. Fishing Gear has no entanglement potential. This innovative Fishing Gear fulfills the needs of fishers and regulators and has extensive manufacturing potential. The Crab Raft Gear utilizes patent pending variable buoyancy, acoustically actuated, lift bag Fishing Gear modules that retrieve commercial and recreational trap/pot fisheries to the surface without buoys or end-lines. Fishing Gear will be marked on USCG navigational maps/electronic charts allowing fishers to avoid Gear conflicts and regulators to track Rope-Less Fishing Gear inventories. Fishing Gear is retrieved with encoded acoustic signals allowing only the fishers who own that Gear to retrieve their Gear and as well allow regulators to retrieve, inspect and reset Gear if required. Crab Raft Inc. will utilize SBIR-NOAA-OAR-OAR-TPO-2019-2005899 funds to further refine acoustic trigger manufacturing systems, develop USCG GIS mapping integration systems, identify and gather training with specialty tooling and produce manufacturing feasibility studies for mass production of innovative Rope-Less Fishing Gear.