IN A FISH POT

The invention relates to a pot. More specifically, the invention relates to a collapsible pot for catching aquatic organisms such as fish and crustaceans. More specifically still, the invention relates to a pot which is pulled sideways up through a water column, so that the catch inside the pot is gathered in the portion of a catch chamber that extends downwards in the water columns.

A pot, for example a trap net or cod pot, is a gentle piece of fishing gear and is well suited for catching fish and crustaceans that are to be carried alive to a market. The pot comprises a catch chamber, into which the fish or the crustacean is lured, and in which the animal may be kept without being harmed. Pot-fishing therefore makes it possible for fishermen to avoid fishing in bad weather, as the pots may be set before the storm sets in and be emptied when the storm is over.

The drawback of a pot and a trap net is that these types of fishing gear are not very effective, and therefore they have gained only limited ground among commercial fishermen. At the same time, the demand for wild fish of high quality increases. The fishing industry is therefore in search of new catching methods that are both gentle and effective.

The invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art or at least provide a useful alternative to the prior art.

The object is achieved through the features that are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.

The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments of the invention. In a first aspect, the invention relates to a pot, more specifically a pot adapted for catching an aquatic organism, such as a fish. The pot comprises:

- a pot top;

- a chamber bottom;

- a surrounding side wall which is formed between the pot top and the chamber bottom, the side wall forming an inside and an outside;

- a catch chamber formed by the pot top, the chamber bottom and the side wall;

- an inlet funnel which forms an inlet and a mouth, the mouth being positioned inside the catch chamber;

- at least one portion positioned in at least one of the pot top, the chamber bottom and the side wall, arranged to be openable for the removal of the aquatic organism in the catch chamber,

- a first shape element surrounding the pot top;

- a base element, and

- a float element at the pot top.

The pot comprises an elongated element forming a first end portion, a second end portion and a coupling portion between the first end portion and the second end portion; the first end portion is attached to the first shape element, and the second end portion is attached to the base element; and the elongated element is positioned on the outside of the side wall.

The elongated element is flexible in the coupling portion; the side wall is formed from a soft material and the pot is collapsible; the pot is arranged to take a catching position with a catching distance between the first shape element and the base element; and the pot is adapted for the distance between the first shape element and the base element to be smaller than the catching distance when the elongated element is bent in the coupling portion.

The advantage of the elongated element is that when the pot is pulled by the coupling portion, it will be pulled sideways up through a water column. The first shape element and the base element will be brought towards each other, and the side wall will partly hang below the shape element and the base element. The catch in the catch chamber will gather at the bottom. The pot will offer less resistance in the water compared with a pot that is pulled upwards with an intact shape. By sideways is meant, here, that a face formed by the pot top and a face formed by the chamber bottom, are not transverse to the direction of pull, but are oriented along the direction of pull. The elongated element may be coilable and consist of a rope or a chain. The elongated element may consist of a wire.

The pot top, the chamber bottom and the surrounding side wall may be formed of a net or a seine.

The portion may be positioned in the side wall diametrically relative to the elongated element. The portion may be formed as a closable bag in the side wall. The pot may be hoisted aboard a vessel and carried over a receptacle. The catch will be gathered in the closable bag, and the bag will be hanging above the receptacle. This has the advantage of the catch easily flowing into the receptacle when the bag is opened.

The mouth may be connected to the coupling portion with a first line. This has the advantage of the mouth being pursed when the pot is being pulled sideways by the coupling portion, and the animals in the catch chamber being unable to seek out through the inlet funnel.

In an alternative embodiment, the pot may comprise a second shape element which surrounds the chamber bottom, the second shape element may be positioned between the first shape element and the base element, and the second shape element may be attached to the base element with a spacer element. The second shape element may be connected to the coupling portion with a second line. The second line will keep the second shape element in a position on a level with the first shape element and the base element when the pot is being pulled sideways.

The coupling portion may be provided with a fastening element. The fastening element may be formed as a loop. A rope may be tied to the loop. In an alternative embodiment, a link of a chain may constitute the fastening element. A rope may be attached to the link of the chain with a shackle.

In this embodiment, the pot may further include:

- an initial chamber between the second shape element and the base element;

- an inlet slot between the second shape element, the base element and the initial chamber, the inlet slot ending in the initial chamber, and the inlet funnel forming an open connection between the initial chamber and the catch chamber.

The effect of this is that the pot can stand on a surface, for example a sea floor, and that fish or crustaceans searching for food along the sea floor may swim into the initial chamber under the chamber bottom and be lured up through the inlet funnel into the pot chamber.

By soft floor conditions, the base element may sink into the surface. The distance between the base element and the second shape element may therefore be overdimensioned so that fish can swim into the initial chamber even if the base element has sunk into the surface.

The inlet funnel may be connected to the chamber bottom. The inlet funnel may be an extension of the chamber bottom. The inlet funnel may be part of the chamber bottom. The inlet funnel extends upwards in the water column into the catch chamber when the pot is in a position of application.

The inlet funnel may form an oblong opening in the catch chamber. The effect of this oblong opening is that a fish can easily swim through that inlet funnel into the catch chamber, but the fish will have problems in swimming back out through the opening. Trials carried out by the applicant have shown that it is more difficult for the fish to swim out of the catch chamber through an oblong opening than a round opening.

The inlet slot may be formed along the entire outer circumference of the pot, between the base element and the second shape element. This has the advantage of fish and crustaceans being able to make their way in to the initial chamber independently of what direction they are coming from relative to the pot.

The effect of the inlet slot is that fish and crustaceans can be guided into the initial chamber under the chamber bottom while, at the same time, fish and crustaceans that have entered the initial chamber, are prevented from making their way out of the pot. It is known that, for example, cod that get scared or bump into something will swim upwards in the water column. When a cod that is in the initial chamber bumps into an inside of the inlet slot, the cod will instinctively change its swimming direction so that it swims upwards and into the inlet funnel.

The inlet slot may comprise a first guiding element with a first central opening and a first edge portion around the first central opening. The inlet slot may comprise a second guiding element with a second central opening and a second edge portion around the first central opening. Portal elements may connect the first edge portion to the second edge portion. Between themselves, the portal elements may form openings into the initial chamber. The first guiding element and the second guiding element may consist of nets. The base element may be provided with a protective element and a plurality of spacers between the base element and the protective element. The protective element may be provided with a damping element. The damping element may be a rope which is wound around the protective element. The protective element may have the same shape and size as the base element. In the first exemplary embodiment, the protective element protects the chamber bottom against fret. In the second exemplary embodiment, the protective element protects the first guiding element against fret. The damping element protects the pot if it slams into a vessel side during setting or hauling. The damping element protects the pot from impact against a deck.

The base element may have a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the first shape element, so that the pot forms a frustum of a cone when the first shape element and the base element are circular. The second shape element may have a diameter which, in size, is between the size of the diameter of the first shape element and the diameter of the base element. The effect of this is that the pot builds little in height when lying flat on a surface. Two or more pots may be stacked on top of each other with a smallest possible height. The pot has a small sideways width when the pot hangs freely by the coupling portion.

The base element and the second shape element may be connected to each other with at least one spacer element. In an advantageous embodiment, the base element and the second shape element are connected to each other with at least three spacer elements.

The base element and the second shape element may both be circular. A circular pot is gentler to the sea floor and the surroundings than a polygonal pot. An annular pot further has a smaller risk of sticking to the sea floor or scraping the sea floor than a pot with sharp corners. It may also be gentler to hulls and easier to handle than a polygonal pot. A round pot will also be less likely to begin to rotate in consequence of slamming into a vessel side than a pot of an angulate shape.

The first shape element may be circular. The first shape element may have a smaller diameter than the base element, so that the pot chamber forms a frustum of a cone. The first shape element may have a diameter of 170 cm, for example. The second shape element may have a diameter of 190 cm, for example. The base element may have a diameter of 200 cm, for example. The pot may have a height of 120 cm, for example. The size of the pot may be adapted for the aquatic organism that is desirably to be caught. The inlet slot may have a peripheral length which it is at least half the circumference of the base element. The effect of the inlet slot covering at least half a circumference of the base element is that fish can enter through the inlet slot from several sides. The inlet slot may surround the initial chamber. When the inlet slot surrounds the initial chamber, fish may enter the initial chamber from all sides of the pot.

The first shape element may constitute a float element. The effect of the fact that the first shape element may constitute a float element is that the side wall may be stretched to a maximum height so that the catch chamber may form a maximum volume when the pot is lowered in the water column, without the use of a rigid connection between the first shape element and the base element or, alternatively, between the first shape element and the second shape element. The buoyancy may be created by air in the first shape element. The buoyancy may be created by a material with buoyancy arranged in or on the outside of the first shape element. The pot may be provided with float elements which are attached to the pot top.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for pulling a pot as described above. The method comprises attaching one of a mooring and a snood to the coupling portion so that the elongated element is bent in the coupling portion and the first shape element and the base element are brought towards each other when the pot is pulled by one of the mooring and the snood.

The portion may be formed as a closable bag, and the pot is pulled sideways upwards in a water column with the bag at the bottom.

The pot may be lifted aboard a vessel with the coupling portion at the top and the bag at the bottom. The pot may be carried over a receptacle and the bag may be opened for a catch to flow out of the catch chamber into the receptacle.

In what follows, examples of preferred embodiments are described, which are visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a pot in a catching position in a first embodiment, in perspective;

Figure 2 shows a pot in a catching position in a second embodiment, in perspective;

Figure 3 shows a section from the side of the pot shown in figure 2; and

Figure 4 shows the same as figure 3 but seen from a side perpendicular to the side shown in figure 3. In the figures, the same or corresponding elements are indicated by the same reference number. For the sake of clarity, some elements may be without reference numbers in some figures.

A person skilled in the art will understand that the figures are principle drawings. The relative ratios between individual elements may also be distorted.

In the figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a pot. The pot 1 is collapsible. The pot 1 comprises a pot top 10, a chamber bottom 19, and a surrounding side wall 11 which is formed between the pot top 10 and the chamber bottom 19. The side wall 11 forms an inside 110 and an outside 119. The pot top 10, the chamber bottom 19 and the side wall 11 are formed from a water-permeable material, such as a net or a netting. The pot top 10, the chamber bottom 19 and the side wall 11 form a catch chamber 2. An inlet funnel 30 forms an inlet 30 and a mouth 39. The mouth 39 is positioned inside the catch chamber 2. Such an inlet funnel 3 is known as a throat.

The pot is provided with a portion 13 that can be opened for the removal of aquatic organisms such as fish and crustaceans (not shown) from the catch chamber 2. The portion 13 may consist of a hatch (not shown). The hatch may be positioned in the pot top 10, the chamber bottom 19 or in the side wall 11. In the figures, the portion 13 is shown as a closable bag 14. The bag 14 may be opened and closed with a rope 15. A first bag 14 is shown positioned in the side wall 11, and a second bag 14 is shown positioned in the pot top 10.

The pot 1 comprises a first shape element 41 surrounding the pot top 10, and a base element 49. In the figures, the first shape element 41 and the base element 49 are shown as circular elements. The first shape element 41 and the base element 49 may be formed with other geometries, such as oval, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon and octagon. The pot top 10 is attached to the first shape element 41. In the first exemplary embodiment, the chamber bottom 19 is attached to the base element 49. In this embodiment, the side wall 11 is attached to the first shape element 41 and to the base element 49 as shown in figure 1. In figure 1, the pot 1 is shown in a catching position with a distance D between the first shape element 41 and the base element 49.

The pot 1 comprises a flexible, elongated element 5. The element 5 forms a first end portion 51 and a second end portion 52 and a coupling portion 53 between the first end portion 51 and the second end portion 52. The elongated element 5 may be coilable, like a rope or a chain. The first end portion 51 is attached to the first shape ele- merit 41. The second end portion 52 is attached to the base element 49. The elongated element 5 is positioned on the outside 119 of the side wall 11. The coupling portion

53 may be provided with a fastening element 54. In the figures, the fastening element

54 is shown as a loop 55. A rope (not shown) may be tied to the loop 55. In an alternative embodiment, a link of a chain (not shown) may constitute the fastening element 54. A rope may be attached to the link of the chain with a shackle (not shown).

One portion 13, shown as the bag 14, is positioned in the side wall 11 diametrically relative to the elongated element 5.

The mouth 39 is advantageously connected to the coupling portion 53 with a first line 31. The first line 31 is passed through the side wall 11. In the first exemplary embodiment, the pot 1 is not provided with the first line 31.

In a second exemplary embodiment, the pot 1 includes a second shape element 42. The second shape element 42 is positioned between the first shape element 41 and the base element 49. The second shape element 42 is attached to the base element 49 with spacer elements 43. The spacer elements 43 may be rigid spacer elements 43. The spacer elements 43 may be flexible spacer elements 43, such as ropes. The second shape element 42 advantageously has the same geometric shape as the first shape element 41. In the second exemplary embodiment, the chamber bottom 19 is attached to the second shape element 42. In this embodiment, the side wall 11 is attached to the first shape element 41 and to the second shape element 42. The second shape element 42 is connected to the coupling portion 53 with a second line 32 on the inside 110 of the side wall 11. The second line 32 is passed through the side wall 11.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the pot 1 comprises an initial chamber 6 between the second shape element 42 and the base element 49. The initial chamber 6 is formed of a bottom 69, a first guiding element 61, a second guiding element 62 and the chamber bottom 19. Between themselves, the first guiding element 61 and the second guiding element 62 form an inlet slot 63 extending around the entire circumference of the pot 1. A plurality of portal elements 64 connects the first guiding element 61 to the second guiding element 62. The bottom 69 is attached to the base element 49 and covers the entire area within the base element 49. The bottom 69 may consist of a net. The first guiding element 61 is attached, in a first circumference 610, to the base element 49. The second guiding element 62 is attached, in a second circumference 620, to the second shape element 42. The first guiding element 61 may consist of a net. The second guiding element 62 may consist of a net. The first guiding element 61 is provided with a first central opening 611. The first central opening 611 may be provided with a first encircling reinforcing element 612. The first reinforcing element 612 may consist of a rope that is sewn to a first edge portion 613 surrounding the first central opening 611. The second guiding element 62 is provided with a second central opening 621. The second central opening 621 may be provided with an encircling second reinforcing element 622. The second reinforcing element 622 may consist of a rope which is sewn to a second edge portion 623 surrounding the second central opening 621. The portal elements 64 connect the first edge portion 613 to the second edge portion 623.

The inlet funnel 3 has the inlet 30 in the chamber bottom 19, and the inlet funnel 3 extends towards the pot top 10. The mouth 39 is kept stretched by a first stretching line 33 and a second stretching line 34. The first stretching line 33 is attached to the mouth 39 and to the first shape element 41. The second stretching line 34 is attached to the mouth 39 and to the first shape element 41.

The side wall 11 is shown provided with a rot cord 16. When the rot cord 16, which may be made of cotton, has degraded, an escape opening (not shown) will form in the side wall 11.

In figures 2 to 4, the pot 1 is shown with a protective element 7 which is attached to the base element 49 with spacers 71. The protective element 7 is shown with the same geometry and with the same circumference as the base element 49. A damping element 73 is attached to the protective element 7. The damping element 73 is shown as a rope that is wound around the protective element 7. The pot 1 in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment, see figure 1, may be provided with the protective element 7 attached to the base element 49.

The pot 1 is provided with at least one float element 8 at the pot top 10. In figure 1, four annular float elements 8 are shown. In addition, the first shape element 41 may be formed as a float element 8.

A bait container 9 may be positioned inside the catch chamber 2.

The pot 1 may be used as a single pot 1. A mooring (not shown) is attached to the fastening element 54 and extends up to a buoy (not shown) floating on a water surface (not shown). The pot 1 may be used in a pot chain (not shown). Extending from each pot 1, there is a snood (not shown) which is attached to the fastening element 54 and to a main line (not shown). A plurality of pots 1 are attached along the main line. The pot 1 is collapsible as the wall 11 is formed from a soft material, such as a net. In the embodiment with a second shape element, the chamber bottom 19, the inlet funnel 30, the first guiding element 61 and the second guiding element 62 are all formed from a soft material, such as a net. The spacer elements 43 and the portal elements 64 are formed from a coilable material.

The first shape element 41 may be formed from a plastic material, such as polyethylene (PE). The first shape element 41 may be filled with a foamed material for the first shape element to form a float element 8. The first shape element 41 may be hollow and provided with perforations for water to be able to enter the first shape element 41 to give equal pressure on the inside and outside of the first shape element 41.

The second shape element 42 may be formed from a plastic material, such as polyethylene (PE). The second shape element 42 may be hollow and provided with perforations for water to be able to enter the second shape element 42 to give equal pressure on the inside and outside of the second shape element 42.

The base element 49 is formed from a rigid material like iron or steel. The protective element 7 and the spacers 71 are formed from a rigid material like iron or steel.

In figures 2 to 4, the pot 1 is shown in a catching position with a distance D between the first shape element 41 and the base element 49.

When the pot 1 is being put into the sea, the base element 49 and possibly the protective element 7 give the pot 1 negative buoyancy. The float element 8 and the base element 49 orient the pot 1 in the water column (not shown) in such a way that the base element 49 hits the sea floor (not shown). The float element 8 gives buoyancy to the pot top 10 so that the pot 1 stretches in a vertical direction. The stretching from the float element 8 keeps the side wall 11 extended in a vertical direction. In the first exemplary embodiment, the first shape element 41 and the base element 49 keep the side wall 11 extended in a horizontal direction. The pot top 10, the side wall 11 and the chamber bottom 19 form the catch chamber 2.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the first shape element 41 and the second shape element 42 keep the side wall 11 extended in a horizontal direction. The pot top 10, the side wall 11 and the chamber bottom 19 form the catch chamber 2. The float element 8 keeps a stretch on the pot 1 so that the side wall 11 is kept extended, and the spacer elements 43 are kept extended. When the spacer elements 43 are extended, the first guiding element 61, the second guiding element 62 and the portal ele- merits 64 will be kept extended as well, so that the inlet slot 63 is kept open for an animal to pass into the initial chamber 6.

In the first exemplary embodiment, aquatic organisms like fish and crustaceans will make their way into the catch chamber 2 via the inlet funnel 3. In the second exemplary embodiment, aquatic organisms will make their way into the initial chamber 6 via the inlet slot 63. From the initial chamber 6, they make their way into the catch chamber 2 via the inlet funnel 3.

When the pot 1 is being pulled, either the mooring or the snood will pull on the elongated element 5. The elongated element 5 bends in the coupling portion 53, pulling the first shape element 41 and the base element 49 towards each other. When the pot 1 is lifted up from the sea floor, the pot 1 will be collapsed and pulled up with the coupling portion 53 at the top. The side wall 11 will project downwards between the first shape element 41 and the base element 49 in the first embodiment. The side wall 11 will project downwards between the first shape element 41 and the second shape element 42 in the second embodiment. The pot 1 is thus pulled sideways upwards in the water column with the bag 14 at the bottom. This has the advantage of the pot 1 offering less resistance in the water compared with being pulled up with the base element 49 at the bottom.

The first line 31 is tautened when there is a pull on the coupling portion 53. The mouth 39 will then be pulled towards the side wall 11 by the elongated element 5. The mouth 39 is thereby pursed so that aquatic organisms inside the catch chamber 2 cannot make their way out through the inlet 30 when the pot 1 is being pulled.

The pot 1 is pulled aboard a vessel (not shown) with the coupling portion 53 at the top and the bag 14 at the bottom. The pot 1 is moved over a receptacle (not shown) and the bag 14 is opened by operating the rope 15. The catch will thereby flow out of the catch chamber 2 into the receptacle. This has the advantage of the catch chamber 2 being easily emptied of catch.

In the first exemplary embodiment, the protective element 7 protects the chamber bottom 19 against fret. In the second exemplary embodiment, the protective element 7 protects the first guiding element 61 against fret. The damping element 73 protects the pot 1 if it slams into a vessel side (not shown) when being set or hauled. The damping element 73 protects the pot 1 from impact against a deck (not shown).

It should be noted that all the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate the invention, but do not limit it, and persons skilled in the art may construct many alternative em- bodiments without departing from the scope of the attached claims. In the claims, reference numbers in brackets are not to be regarded as restrictive.

The use of the verb "to comprise" and its different forms does not exclude the presence of elements or steps that are not mentioned in the claims. The indefinite article "a" or "an" before an element does not exclude the presence of several such elements.

The fact that some features are indicated in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be used with advantage.