Worlds first Whale Pinger successfully commercialized
PARTICIPANTS:
Australian Federal Government, Queensland and New South Wales State Governments, Natal Sharks Board South Africa.
- First time Whale Pinger commercialized
- Australian Federal Government, New South Wales and Queensland State governments support
- USA supports use of whale Pingers in Alaska
- South Africa uses Future Oceans Whale Pingers on shark control nets
Future Oceans was able to successfully design and manufacture the worlds first low-frequency Whale Pinger when in 2012 it secured a $250,000.00 grant from the Australian Federal Government.
Humpback whale populations are increasing every year and unfortunately, their entanglement in fishing nets and ropes in the water has increased significantly.
Humpback whale entanglements typically lead to a slow agonizing death over several months as the nets and rope cut into the whales causing them to become weak and drown.
Collaborating with scientists and researchers from the USA, Australia and Europe, Future Oceans team of engineers successfully designed a 3kHz frequency Pinger specifically to alert Humpback whales to obstacles in their migration paths.
The whale Pinger was adopted by governments and fishing associations in South Africa, Australia, and the USA, (in Alaska) where gill net fishermen voluntarily purchase large numbers of whale Pingers to reduce interactions with Humpbacks.
Scientists from Fairbanks University undertook a large-scale whale Pinger trial in Alaksa with results confirming that the whale Pingers were highly effective at alerting Humpbacks to fishing gear in the water.
Future Oceans is developing relations with key stakeholders in the USA, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and other countries where Humpback whales are present, and entanglements have become a serious problem.
Future Oceans is the only company in the world that has successfully developed and commercialised a Pinger that has resulted in the protection of tens of thousands of Humpbacks over the past ten years.
