MBM's Spot the Pot campaign

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scoffey

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According to figures released by the RNLI, lifeboats have been called out to deal with 289 incidents involving props being fouled by pot lines or nets in the last year. Here at MBM, we believe many of these incidents could be avoided if a few simple changes were made, which is why we have launched our Spot the Pot campaign, which includes a five-point manifesto calling for bigger, better and more visible marking for lobster pots.

With your help we want to identify the biggest problems associated with badly marked lobster pots and other fishing gear as well as some of the worse affected areas.

We are trying to compile as big a dossier of evidence as possible, so if you have ever snagged your prop on a fishing line, if you know of a problem area, or if you have any video or photos of a prop-tangling incident (or one waiting to happen), then please email Sally Coffey.

Find out more about the Spot the Pot campaign or join the chat on Twitter at #spotthepot
 
Just seems daft to not mark them clearly - why risk losing the pot (could be a whole line of 'em) plus the rope & a possible catch - which will just be killed then? P'raps the fishermen think their pots are being nicked rather than cut?
 
mjf said:
yep - puts me off nighttime / dusk cruising
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Given that they have full daylight (not many overhanging branches etc) and the plastic is usually of a fairly translucent type, why has no bright spark made some with a small solar panel and white flashing LED inside? I would have thought this would make them very visible into the evening when most leisure boats are still about and perhaps even illuminate all night?

Given that the EU has all sorts of obscure 'funds' where H&S is concerned, I'm sure they could provide those fishermen who can't/won't afford to mark their pots properly with some freebies?
 
The fishermen, commercial or pleasure would soon find a way to mark them properly if the old bleach bottles and dark oil cans were cut off by passing angered boaters.
 
have a chat

scoffey said:
According to figures released by the RNLI, lifeboats have been called out to deal with 289 incidents involving props being fouled by pot lines or nets in the last year. Here at MBM, we believe many of these incidents could be avoided if a few simple changes were made, which is why we have launched our Spot the Pot campaign, which includes a five-point manifesto calling for bigger, better and more visible marking for lobster pots.

With your help we want to identify the biggest problems associated with badly marked lobster pots and other fishing gear as well as some of the worse affected areas.

We are trying to compile as big a dossier of evidence as possible, so if you have ever snagged your prop on a fishing line, if you know of a problem area, or if you have any video or photos of a prop-tangling incident (or one waiting to happen), then please email Matt Thomas.

Find out more about the Spot the Pot campaign or join the chat on Twitter at #spotthepot
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Have a chat with sea start and the dive firm they use sometimes,or may be one of the dive firms in the Hamble area, they have underwater cameras that take some great pic of fouled props.
 
I think most people have seen them, and most of us have had to react swiftly to avoid them when we cannot see them until the last minute, or think its nothing more than more debris in the ocean.

How many tiny plastic pop and other bottles are used? how many other types of small plastic containers are used? and these are difficult to see even in the easiest of conditions.

My solution is very simple, these float and are constantly moving, so need to be much larger than the clear pop bottle and brightly coloured for easy visibility. They could use LED technologies and kinetics. Kinetics are simply the power generated from movement like the kinetic watches now so popular, no winding, just shake, and these are cheaply and easily manufactured, and suit low consumption LED's perfectly.
 
an organised campaign at last! - as a previous victim and after many near misses I have always wondered why we have suffered in silence for so long. Badly marked pots are absolutely everywhere and those responsible show a total disregard for the safety of other sea users.
 
Weights below the floats

The problem is that floating line is used. We have similar problems in Oz. The simple solution is a single quality float with a snapper lead or similar sinker about two meters below the float. This keeps the line vertical and below the water as opposed to laying across the water being a silent prop magnet..... Good luck
 
Good to see some potential action against this menace. Where we are in South Devon, pots are everywhere and I mean everywhere. Right across the entrances to coves, often nearly invisble at dusk and as said not where you expect them to be. Surely some of the technology and methods mentioned earlier can prevail and at least improve things. We haven't hit one yet afasik, but its been bl00dy close.
 
With no engine and a full length keel with the rudder on the end of the keel we have no problems whatsoever. :p

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I reported poorly marked pots to NWfisheries a couple of years ago after I towed in two boats in a weekend, both with sever damage to stern gear. They state that any pot not correctly marked can be removed. I asked would they go to Holyhead bay and remove all the pots that are not correctly marked. Their response was they would look into it.

How many were removed..........non, there was one in the middle of the harbour entrance that had caught somebody early morning after a trip over from Ireland.

All it would take is for the authorities to lift every pot in an area that is not correctly marked and then charge for the pots to be returned, or sold at a discount to fishermen who do mark them correctly.

I wonder how long it will be before we take one of these inconsiderate fishermen to court under H&S for causing somebody to loose their life.

I shall watch this thread, but I dont hold out much hope for things to change.

Tom
 
LittleShip said:
How many were removed..........non, there was one in the middle of the harbour entrance that had caught somebody early morning after a trip over from Ireland.
All it would take is for the authorities to lift every pot in an area that is not correctly marked and then charge for the pots to be returned, or sold at a discount to fishermen who do mark them correctly.
Tom
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That's right. The regulations are in place. The will to enforce is not, and they all know it.
 
Rum_Pirate said:
:D:D:D

However I do agree and wholeheartedly support the campaign to get pots properly marked.

I further agree with the 'sinking' ropes and suggest that a 'mast' with a flag should be attached to the bouy marker.
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glad to hear that rum pirate, - and yes, the floating lines often used are a main concern, especially in big tidal zones when at low water there can be long runs of ropes just waiting invisibly for a victim.
A thread on here recently threw up an amazing number of boat owners who maintained that it was the responsibilty of the skipper to keep a good look out to avoid pots and any accidents were entirely the fault of the "victim" and not the perpetrator. Extraordinary logic.
 
blueglass said:
glad to hear that rum pirate, - and yes, the floating lines often used are a main concern, especially in big tidal zones when at low water there can be long runs of ropes just waiting invisibly for a victim.
A thread on here recently threw up an amazing number of boat owners who maintained that it was the responsibilty of the skipper to keep a good look out to avoid pots and any accidents were entirely the fault of the "victim" and not the perpetrator. Extraordinary logic.
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While I do sail on that yacht, my personal boat is a 22'0" Mako centre console with a T-top powered by 2 x 85hp yamaha outboards.

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I have brought up my children, initially as a game 'Spot the Pot', to always keep an eye out for pots.
More recently more important as ones eyesight is not necessarily as good and as they are older we go out in choppier weather.

At best it is VERY difficult to replace a split pin at sea, impossible if you do not have a 'puller'.

There is no RLNI or SeaStart out here to tow you in.

One problem for pot owners is that 'others' often steal their pots.
One chap in Anguilla solved it for the most part.
He painted his pot markers in a high viz paint with certain marks.
He lays them in fairly deep water.
At different levels for different pots he wires fish hooks (eye pointing to sea bed) into the hauling line at 3" intervals for 5'0" lengths.
The ropes are generally 'overgrown' with weed/moss etc.
Most pots are hand hauled.
When a thief pulls up the pot, after say 30'0" he gets a hook in his hand.
In order to ease the pain he grabs another section of the rope further down and gets hooked in his other hand.
Thief is now in a rocking boat with a hook in each hand and a heavy pot in mid water.
Chap in Anguilla lost a few pots when they were 'cut off' but nobody touches his now.
He was also able to identify a couple chaps that strangely had injured hands and sort them out.
 
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