The purse seine nets used by freezer tuna vessels are among the largest fishing gears in the world, with surface areas that can exceed 540,000 m². Despite their size, and unlike other equipment on board, these nets have very few sensors capable of providing accurate information on how they behave during fishing operations.
This lack of information limits real-time decision-making: crews cannot anticipate strong currents, very large catches or the first signs of a potential net failure. This can result in less efficient operations, greater risks for crew members and costly repairs or net losses for fishing fleets.
Through the SAREBOOST initiative, funded by the Basque Government, AZTI identified and adapted a network of wireless sensors — already mature technologies in other industrial sectors — for monitoring purse seine fishing gear. This combination of technologies makes it possible to track the position and behaviour of the net throughout the fishing operation.
The system uses small wireless underwater sensors integrated into the fishing gear, capable of recording depth, position, pitch, roll, water temperature and tension. All this information is integrated in real time into a visualisation system that enables fishing technicians to monitor the behaviour of the net during setting, pursing, skiff towing and net hauling, supporting immediate decision-making to improve each operation.
The first trials were carried out on purse seiners operating in the Bay of Biscay, laying the groundwork for scaling up the prototype for use by the freezer tuna fleet.
Sectors: Fisheries and aquaculture sector, Technology 4.0
Research lines: Blue Economy, Digitalisation, Efficient, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
Research sublines: Fishery technologies