Investigating the utilization of polyethylene pipe for automated hauling system in set net fishery

The use of an automated net-hauling system using four polyethylene (PE) pipes is proposed in this study to increase the efficiency of set net fishery. In this system, the pipes are installed on the seabed beneath a box chamber net. Compressed air is injected into the first pipe at the slope net and then into the other pipes in succession. In this system, the fish are cornered between the fourth pipe and the end of the box chamber net. The performance of the system from the second to the fourth pipe is evaluated using numerical analysis, water tank tests, and field experiments. In addition, a static numerical model for the deformation of the PE pipes is developed using the theory of finite deformation and is validated by the results of the water tank and coastal sea experiments. The results show that the maximal bending stress of the full-scale pipe is about 10 MPa, which is within the allowable range of 23 MPa, indicating that the risk of pipe breakage in the automated net-hauling system is considerably low. Therefore, the automated net-hauling system developed in this study has high application value and development potential in set net fishery.