So-called ghost fishing has received increasing attention in recent years. When lost fishing gear – such as fish traps – is left on the seabed, it continues to catch and kill animals such as fish, lobster and crab.
“It is unacceptable that thousands of animals should be left waiting to die in fish traps,” says fish trap collector Lars Matthias Køvener as he pulls a trolley of equipment down the quay in Mandal.
After checking the map and loading the equipment on board his boat, he is ready for another day of fish trap retrieval.
Lars Matthias Køvener is passionate about the work he does. Photo: Runar Lindseth
Passionate advocate
Through the project “God på bunn”, Køvener is paid for every ghost fish trap he brings up. At the helm of his boat and speeding through the archipelago, he says that wherever he goes at sea, he usually finds a trap.
Køvener was born and raised in Mandal and has a very special connection to the archipelago here. He is originally trained as an economist, but chose to leave office life behind in favour of a job he is truly passionate about.
Important catch
Out at sea, anchored with the line-free Geo anchor he has received funding for from The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, he takes out the underwater drone.
“With this ‘anchor’, I can remain completely still without worrying that the robot drone will get tangled in the anchor line. While most divers are limited to 30 metres, the robot drone can reach depths of up to 150 metres,” he says.
He controls the drone using a remote control with a screen, which he uses to locate old fish traps abandoned on the seabed, and before long he spots one. The drone is equipped with a claw that can grip the traps. Using a cable, a satisfied Køvener pulls the day’s first catch up into the boat.
“A good day is when I get to bring many fish traps home with me,” he says with a smile.
Recovering fish traps requires considerable physical strength. Photo: Runar Lindseth
Demanding work
But the underwater drone cannot always do the job on its own.
“If there is a fish trap that is too heavy for the cable, I can attach it to a rope and pull it up using the trap hauler,” explains Kløvener, referring to the crane-like tool mounted on the side of the boat.
The trap hauler is one of the pieces of equipment he has received funding for from The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, and makes it possible to haul up heavy fish traps lying in deep water – opening up enormous opportunities to remove even more ghost gear. It also makes the task less physically demanding.
“Then perhaps I can keep going until retirement age without completely ruining my body,” jokes Kløvener.
