|
150,000 ANGLERS WORLDWIDE TO GET FREE FISHING DEVICE
Research Offer Supports President’s End Bottom Trawling Demand
Orlando, FL… Despite the old adage about making your fortune by developing the perfect mousetrap, a tiny Florida research firm may have done so with the ultimate fish catcher, but is simply giving it away to prove it works to the world’s fishing industry.
With so called "bottom trawling" a mainstay of almost all worldwide fishing activity, last month's call by President Bush to the United Nations for support to end its use wasn't given much of a chance for success. After all, why stop doing something that might damage the environment forever if there is no alternative? The simple answer by the researchers of a fishing device that “talks” to fish was “Let’s give it away and prove it!”
No pipe dream, initial tests of the device called “SONARLURE” that sends out underwater signals to “mirror” those of injured fish has bought in some startling results. In Valdez, Alaska, still suffering from the long ago oil spill, pictures of fishermen with Halibut “far bigger than the fisherman who caught them” , and crate after crate of Cod brought on board off the Shetland Islands says it works…perhaps too well for some. When used in a Boston Whaler sponsored Bimini fishing tournament “Its signal sending described as “like ringing an undersea fishy dinner bell” won easily on with a fish twice the size of the nearest competitor’s.
The triple patented “SONARLURE” device is simple. It uses friction when pulled through the water to vibrate external "lobes", sending out signals that mirror those of injured fish. Faced with shouldering the cost of mounting a large scale study on its own, the developers thought it would appeal to the government as a means of supporting the President’s position. After receiving interest from Saltinstall-Kennedy, part of the government funded National Oceanic &Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they were advised that part of the agency, normally involved in such areas of study, had not been funded by Congress since 2002.
When a half-page article in the Miami Herald touted the device, they were offered funds from several Fortune 500 firms with fishing interests for the study expansion if they could be guaranteed the money would actually go to NOAA.. When both Florida US Senators advised that giving money to Congress didn’t include where it would end up, the potential backers backed out.
Unable to get support from the US, they offered to provide information on the design to foreign nations. The Department of Commerce advised them to hold off until they could go through a technology approval process. With about 150,000 readied in expectation of commercial testing interest, there was a larger problem. “Not one of the big nations the President identified as the culprits responded. We foolishly thought that their concern over the US position against their fishing practices would create interest”, SONARLURE Research Director Michael Shulman explained. While over forty smaller countries found the idea appealing and asked for access to the technology, among them Pakistan, Ghana, and Senegal. Unfortunately, none had large fishing fleets and some others were on the government’s restricted list.
Looking to get the word out, they hit upon the idea: to prove how well it worked by giving all they had built away to 150,000 people who would sign a report on what they caught. They created a web site at http://www.lureresearch.com to handle requests. Since small groups of individual fishermen had already been successful with the devices during development tests by the prestigious North American Fishing Club, (180 of 200 “everyday anglers” caught fish) the research team decided on making a point with testimonials. “It’s a catch-22 situation”, explained Shulman. “If you need about 2,000 of the devices hanging under a fishing ship to create enough of a signal to make it a fish magnet, and you can’t get that, then get groups of 2,000 people with one lure to catch one fish could provide the proof.
“Now, the first 150,000 "everyday anglers" who email us a request at
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
to take part in the project can get a free lure coupled with their emailed agreement to report on how well they do. 150,000 positive reports ought to convince the world’s fishing industry it is worth a try at saving the ocean part of the environment.” Shulman said.
MEDIA CONTACT:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
WEBSITE: http://www.lureresearch.com
|