Seafood

NUTS AND BOLTS
Basic
Scraper Trawl
Andrew Hope
Schematic drawing of a scraper trawl
Mouteka
net design
combines
efficiency
with less
environmental
impact
The fishing industry is constantly
innovating with new technology.
Motueka Nets has developed a
successful net that is more efficient
and better for the environment, Chris
Carey reports.
Based on a trawl design Andrew Hope
of Motueka Nets saw in Eden NSW
Australia, 30 years in the making, the
“Scraper” trawl is proving to be the net
of choice for many inshore fishermen.
It is more fuel efficient and there is
less contact with the bottom, says Hope.
“I got hold of a plan or saw a net in
Eden, I can’t remember which, but they
had a problem with ribbon fish so they
kept their headline height below 3.5, 4m
to avoid catching it. We liked the idea
28 | Seafood New Zealand | Volume 24 No. 6
and Owen Hoggard, our net designer
along with Andy Kenton who trialled
our first models, fiddled and tutu’d
with it and what we have today is the
result of that work. And it has evolved
considerably since that early design; it’s
totally different to what it was. A few
of our opposition have climbed on the
band-wagon with a similar trawl because
the Scraper is the one everyone wants
to copy,” Hope says.
The success of the Scraper trawl lies
with its simple and effective design;
two-bridle, 4-panel with long wings and
a low headline height. Constructed
from PE, the top panel and the veranda
are 2.5mm with 3mm and 4mm material
in the wear areas running 9inch in the
sides. Ground ropes are made up of 2½
inch cookies and weights.
Depending on the size of the trawl,
headline height varies from 3½ to 4½m.
“Obviously with a bigger trawl you
can go higher but we’ve designed it to
keep the headline down because that’s
how it works.”
One modification MotNets made was
to how it is slung in the wing.
“The side panel is cut along the side
knots, not cut on the square as such, so
there is no taper as the wings come out.
And that makes it easier to mend.”
MotNets use material from Van
Beelen of Holland due to its durability,
knot strength and wear characteristics
although one or two Scrapers have been
made in Dyneema®.
“The biggest trawl we’ve built has
wings out to 210-feet (64m) and we
come down to 80-foot,” says Hope.
“The beauty of it is for someone
running a 90-footer they can tow a 120-
foot in a Scraper Trawl. It has become
the trawl of choice for most of our
inshore guys particularly with tarakihi,
gurnard and your general run-of-the-mill
inshore species. They’re even using it
on the ling and Ocean Pioneer had an
amazing few weeks on the squid with
this trawl. Amaltal Mariner is running
one on the roughy and they really like it
particularly on the flat bottom.”
Via email Richard Pollock, owner of
Ocean Pioneer and Resolution had this
to say: “It’s a great trawl and easy to
mend too. I use them on both boats,
particularly for ground fish.”
Stark Bros vessels are using the
Scraper trawl. Matt Wells, Skipper of
Endeavour told me: “the best feature
of the trawl is even when it roughs
up; say a 3-4m lift up to 6m, 35 knots
or so, it’ll still maintain good bottom
contact whereas a wing trawl may start