Topband: Beacon on 1.947

[David Mueller]

>> > >From what you say,  sounds to me as if it is some commercial
>> >fishers drift net beacon.  

>> If they are opreating below 1900, they are illegal.  

>But they are almost certainly Asian fishers;  who knows
>what their nation allows out on the high seas.  And,  given
>their use of the rest of the HF spectrum for coms,  without
>regard to US licensing rules,  I suspect they don't care,
>just so long as they find their catch within the huge nets.
>Anyway,  no one is enforcing such out on the seas, evidently;
>can't even enforce where they fish successfully,  never mind how!

>73,  Jim  KH7M

   I have some experience in this often-popping-up topic of drift net
beacons.  During the times while I was stationed in Guam, I had
countless opportunities to see these beacons while conducting boardings
as a member of the USCG.  
   They are most often utilized on Asian long-line fishing vessels.
Most are from Korea, Japan, and to a lesser extent China.  They usually
carry 10-12 of these beacons, which consist of a counterweighted float
encasing a battery, a small transmitter, and a 10-12ft whip.  These
beacons were made in Korea and Japan as the manufacturing tags were
printed in unreadable (to me) script.  The frequencies that were stamped
on these tags were readable, and most were in the 1800-1950 KHz range.
I'm not sure why this is the case.
   These fishing boats are called "long-liners" simply because they lay
out a long fishing line - often 10 to 20 miles long - which are
suspended about 40ft below the surface with floats every several hundred
feet.  Baited hooks are clipped to this line every 50 feet or so.  It
takes up to a day to lay down a set, after which the boat proceeds back
to the starting point and starts retrieving it.  That's where the
beacons come in - they use them to mark their set every couple miles so
they can track down the line easily.
   I know these types of boats can be found all over the pacific, as
well as the North Atlantic.  The ship featured in the "Perfect Storm"
was long-lining for swordfish when it disappeared.
   Out in the Pacific, their preferred catch is usually yellowfin tuna
and billfish.  Sharks are often caught for their fins by Asian
fisherman.
   As far as enforcement goes, that's another story altogether.  Don't
think we aren't out there though - because we are.  I was involved in
two seizures for illegal fishing while I was in KH2.  Unfortunately what
may not be allowed in some countries is allowed elsewhere and on the
high seas outside of any nation's economic exclusion zone (200 miles
offshore).
   Sorry for a long winded explanation of what these things are.

73, Dave N2NL
Chief Petty Officer, USCG
www.n2nl.net