Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University and the Orkney Fisheries Association have secured European Horizon funding for a five-year initiative to test underwater drones for locating and recovering lost creels in Orkney waters.
The university announced the project on Friday, September 25. It will begin with fishermen and other residents identifying areas where gear is often lost and considering how it could be retrieved safely.
Drone trials are expected to start in spring 2027.
Researchers will test different underwater drones to see whether they can find and film creels. They will then explore whether a drone could attach a hook and line to the gear so it can be winched to the surface.
“The tidal conditions around Orkney can be extreme, so we will be pushing the capabilities of the technology,” said Dr Kristine Cerbule of Heriot-Watt’s International Centre for Island Technology in Orkney. She said a method that works there may have applications in other fisheries.
Fishermen deploy hundreds of pots around Orkney to catch crab and lobster. Losing a creel valued at more than £100 (US$130) increases the financial burden on small fishing businesses, which already face tight margins and high fuel bills.
Orkney Fisheries Association Chief Executive Alistair Buchan said local creels weigh around 25 kg and are usually lost during adverse weather.
“Lost gear is an expensive issue for fishermen and we are extremely keen to explore practical ways to minimise those losses,” Buchan said, adding that crews already bring litter back from the sea every day.
“Lost fishing gear, or ghost gear, can harm the marine environment by entangling animals, but it also creates microplastic pollution from the components of the equipment,” Cerbule added.
Recovering creels could return usable equipment to fishermen while removing waste from the water.
The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has said lost creels can continue to catch prawns and other species and become navigational hazards.
In a 2024 pilot off Argyll, SAMS researchers first surveyed active and test creels to learn how they appeared in sonar images. They then used a towed side-scan sonar system to identify likely targets and sent a remotely operated vehicle to inspect and film multiple derelict creels.
The Argyll pilot established a method for finding lost creels. The Orkney project will investigate whether a drone can also help secure a line for recovery in the islands’ tidal waters.
