SOLUTION
CATCH MORE. WASTE LESS. REBAIT REMOTELY. SAVE YOUR GEAR.
The Problem
Traditional lobster fishing wastes bait, risks gear loss and drives up costs. Unprotected bait is lost to currents, eaten by non-target species, or simply overused. On average, 1.8 kg of bait is used to catch just 1 kg of lobster, an inefficient and costly ratio. Fishermen must also head out to sea regularly to check and rebait their creels, often facing lost time and fuel costs. When seas are rough or unsafe, traps can’t be serviced, leaving bait to spoil and gear to sit idle. Add in frequent trap loss and entangled lines, and profits sink even further.
Without Bait Saviour
💸 Higher Costs - Fishermen used 1.8kg of bait for every 1kg of lobster caught.
🪢 Lost Gear - Traps and lines become damaged by storms, snagging and vessel traffic.
🦈 Bait Stolen - Non target species can eat and attacked bait before lobsters reach it.
🐋 Wildlife Risk - Ghost gear entangles whales and marine life.
🐚 Weather Delays – During storms or rough seas, fishermen can’t safely head out to sea to rebait creels, leaving traps idle and unproductive for days.
🌊 Wasted Time & Fuel – Every rebaiting trip requires a vessel journey, even just to check empty or inactive pots.
Traditional lobster fishing methods result in significant bait waste that often goes unnoticed, creating high costs and operational challenges. This inefficiency reduces catch success and puts pressure on the financial stability of fishing operations. Added to this is the frequent loss and damage of expensive gear (traps, lines, and buoys) which drives up replacement costs, increases downtime, and creates safety risks. Many fishermen, familiar with long-standing practices, may overlook how wasted bait, reduced profitability, and recurring gear losses affect their livelihoods. Without recognising these issues, opportunities for improvement are missed. Studies show that the weight of lobsters caught is only about half the weight of bait used, with around 1.8 kg (3.9 lbs) of bait required for every 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of lobster. This inefficiency is caused by several factors: Cheaper, less effective bait: Lower cost bait often lacks the strength to attract lobsters effectively, leading to higher consumption without an increase in catch. Bait loss to currents: Exposed bait can be carried away by water movement, reducing its availability and effectiveness. Consumption by non target species: Unprotected bait is eaten by other marine species, leaving less available for lobsters and forcing higher usage. Loss and damage of gear: Traps and lines are lost to storms, seabed snags, vessel traffic, gear conflicts, and vandalism. This reduces fishing capacity, raises replacement and repair costs, causes downtime, and creates “ghost gear” that continues to fish wastefully and harm marine life. Together, these issues reduce profitability, increase risks, and add to environmental harm. Unless addressed, they will continue to undermine the sustainability and safety of lobster fishing.
The Solution
The Bait Saviour System cuts bait consumption by up to 75%, reduces gear loss, and lowers fuel use by as much as 50%. Our smart, IoT-enabled Bait Containers release bait at the right time, protect it from waste, and track your gear so you catch more with less. The system also allows you to rebait your creel remotely without having to go out to sea, enabling pots to be rebaited during rough weather or unsafe sea conditions. This means fewer trips offshore, improved safety, and continuous fishing performance, even when you can’t get out to sea.
With Bait Saviour
💰 Lower Costs - Cut bait used by up to 75% with precision timed release.
⚓ Save Gear - Retrieve gear that would usually be unrecoverable without a backup buoy.
🦞 More Lobsters - Bait protected until the set release time, attracting more target species.
🌍 Eco Friendly - Less debris, safer seas and lower emissions.
🦞 Rebait Remotely – Rebait your creel from shore without going to sea. Keep gear fishing through rough weather or unsafe sea conditions.
🚤 Fewer Trips – Reduce the number of sea trips by up to 50%, cutting fuel costs and saving valuable time.
The Bait Saviour System (Bait Container + WaTS) directly tackles the problem of high bait waste in lobster fishing. By controlling when and how bait is released, it reduces losses, extends bait life and improves catch efficiency. The system also helps preserve fishing gear by lowering the risk of trap loss, drift and entanglement, making recovery easier after storms or vessel conflicts. Rising bait costs, fuel volatility, labour shortages and gear losses all put pressure on the lobster industry. The Bait Saviour System addresses these issues through integrated IoT technology, linking traps, bait containers, buoys and onboard equipment into a connected network. Wireless communication and monitoring provide continuous visibility of trap locations, bait status and environmental conditions. Crews can make informed decisions at sea and ashore, plan shorter trips, adjust operations in real time and better protect their investment in gear. Over time, this translates into fewer wasted trips, lower fuel use and improved safety by limiting exposure to poor conditions. Environmental impact is reduced by limiting excess bait release and preventing lost gear that would otherwise create seafloor debris or ghost fishing. Fewer trips mean lower fuel consumption and emissions. The system’s tracking features also support compliance with local regulations and gear marking requirements, providing verifiable records for authorities when needed. The combined effect is lower bait consumption, fewer lost traps, reduced fuel costs and higher catch efficiency. Even small gains across these areas create significant annual savings when scaled across a full season and large fleets. Its modular design allows gradual adoption, starting with priority gear and expanding as benefits are proven. The Bait Saviour System integrates real-time communications and adaptive bait management to help fishermen achieve more with fewer resources: less bait, less fuel and fewer trap losses. In doing so, it supports both operational resilience and the wider sustainability of marine ecosystems and fishing communities.
TRADITIONAL FISHING
For generations, lobster fishing has relied on the same methods: load up the pots with bait, drop them at sea, and lift after a couple of days. But beneath the surface, these practices hide serious problems. Too much bait is wasted to strong currents, eaten by non-target species, or lost to the environment before lobsters ever arrive. On average, fishermen use almost twice as much bait as the lobsters they catch, a costly imbalance that erodes margins year after year. Add in storms, snagging and vessel traffic damaging or stealing gear, and the risks only grow.
The Breakthrough
This cycle of high costs, wasted effort and gear loss has long been accepted as part of the job. Yet it doesn’t have to be. The Bait Saviour System is changing the game. By protecting bait until it’s most effective and releasing it at a precise time, the system tackles inefficiency at every level. Fishermen save money on bait, cut down on wasted fuel through smarter trips and with the backup buoy part of our WaTS system, protect their pots and gear from becoming expensive ghost gear.
The Future
The results are clear: lower operating costs, bigger catches, and safer, more predictable fishing. But the benefits don’t stop there. Every trip saved means fewer emissions, less seafloor debris and reduced risks for marine wildlife like whales that can become entangled in abandoned gear. It’s a smarter way to fish today, while building a more sustainable industry for tomorrow.
With the Bait Saviour System, fishermen aren’t just catching more lobsters, they’re protecting their livelihoods, their gear and the oceans that sustain them.
our commitment
Not only are we committed at QLT to revolutionizing the lobster fishing industry by integrating cutting-edge technologies, we are determined to tackle every aspect of environmental conservation. Our goal is to reduce the industry's ecological footprint through responsible practices and innovative solutions that protect marine ecosystems for future generations.