SOLUTION
CATCH MORE. WASTE LESS. REBAIT REMOTELY. SAVE YOUR GEAR.
The Problem
Without Bait Saviour
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.
The Solution
With Bait Saviour
The Bait Saviour system is a bait saver system for commercial fishing vessels that cuts bait consumption by up to 75%, reduces gear loss, and can lower fuel use by as much as 50%. Our smart bait containers (timed bait release containers) release bait at the right time during the soak, protect it from early-stage scavenging, and support pot location tracking so you can catch more with less.
Using the Bait Saviour Hub and Remote, crews can set release schedules and rebait creels remotely without having to go back out to sea. That means pots can stay productive during long soaks and be reactivated during rough weather or unsafe sea conditions, helping reduce bait loss, reduce unnecessary trips, and improve safety while keeping catch consistency high.
💸 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.
💰 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 and ropeless fishing in lobster and crab fishing. By controlling when and how bait is released, it reduces losses, extends bait life and improves catch efficiency, whale entanglement and lost gea. 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 and crab fishing has relied on the same approach: load up the pots with bait, set them at sea, and haul a day or two later. The problem is what happens during the soak. Bait is often stripped early by non-target species, degraded by currents and temperature, or wasted long before lobsters and crabs arrive. That bait loss adds up fast, and many crews end up using close to twice as much bait as the shellfish they land. Add storms, snagging and vessel traffic, plus gear theft and trap loss, and the costs and risks keep climbing.
The Breakthrough
This cycle of wasted bait, high operating costs and gear loss has been treated as normal for a long time. It doesn’t have to be. The Bait Saviour system is a bait saver system for commercial fishing vessels that protects bait when it’s most vulnerable and then releases it at the right time. Using a timed bait release container, crews can reduce bait waste, improve catch consistency, and plan trips more efficiently. Paired with WaTS (Whale and Trap Saviour), the system also helps reduce gear loss and the risk of pots becoming ghost gear, while supporting whale-safe fishing by reducing reliance on vertical lines.
The Future
The results are simple at a set level: lower bait spend, fewer unnecessary trips, and more predictable fishing performance across every set of pots. When a set holds bait longer and is fished more efficiently, fewer return trips are needed — meaning lower fuel use, reduced wear on vessels, and fewer emissions.
With the WaTS ropeless fishing system, each set is also protected from gear loss and vessel drag-offs. Keeping pots ropeless during soak time reduces the risk of whale entanglement, while the built-in recovery system ensures sets can still be located and hauled if buoys are lost, lines part, or traps are moved. Less lost gear means less seafloor debris, reduced ghost fishing, and fewer risks to marine wildlife, including marine mammals.
When used together, the Bait Saviour bait saver system and WaTS ropeless fishing technology deliver real benefits set by set — smarter bait use, safer trap management, and more reliable harvesting.
Fishermen aren’t just catching more from each set. They’re protecting their margins, securing their gear, and reducing environmental impact, helping ensure a stronger, more sustainable future for commercial shellfish fisheries.
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.
