Smelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Training Society

TO REDUCE HARMFUL HUMAN & MARINE LIFE INTERACTION BY RESEARCHING, EDUCATING & DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY.

SMELTS IS A 501 C 3 NON-PROFIT FORMED IN 2014 BY FOUNDERS ANNMARIE RIELS AND RICHARD RIELS, OUR FOCUS IS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH MARINE LIFE. SMELTS IS CURRENTLY FOCUSING ON ENTANGLEMENT PREVENTION TO WHALES AND OTHER MARINE LIFE IN BOTTOM SET FISHING GEAR. SMELTS CO-FOUNDER RICHARD RIELS INVENTED A LINE LESS LIFT BAG TECHNOLOGY WHICH REMOVES VERTICAL LINES AND BUOYS FROM BOTTOM SET FISHERIES. THIS DEVELOPMENT OF LINE FREE FISHING WILL HELP REDUCE OR END ENTANGLEMENT IN THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES AND OTHER MARINE LIFE. SMELTS LINE LESS FISHING TECHNOLOGY HAS A PRIORITY TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR MARINE MAMMALS AND BE USED AS INNOVATIVE TOOLS FOR THE COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY.MARINE SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT THE LINE AND BUOY SYSTEM IN POT/TRAP FISHERIES HAS CAUSED INJURY AND DEATH TO WHALES, ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES AND OTHER MARINE LIFE. SUB-LETHAL INJURIES WHICH HAS REDUCED REPRODUCTIVE CAPABILITY IN MARINE MAMMALS DUE TO THE NEGATIVE EFFECT FROM ENTANGLEMENT. THERE ARE MANY MARINE ANIMALS THAT ARE LISTED UNDER THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT (MMPA) AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) THAT SMELTS HAVE PRIORITY TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION TO PROTECT SUCH CREATURES FROM INJURY. SMELTS LINE LESS LIFT BAG TECHNOLOGY REMOVES THE NEED FOR VERTICAL LINES AND BUOYS NEEDED TO HAUL BOTTOM SET TRAP/POT FISHERIES WHICH IS THE CURRENT SYSTEM FOR BOTTOM SET FISHING. LARGE CETACEAN ENTANGLEMENTS HAVE THREATENED CLOSURES FOR COMMERCIAL BOTTOM SET FISHING. SMELTS HAS HAD GREAT INTEREST AND SUPPORT FOR ITS LINE LESS LIFT BAG TECHNOLOGY FROM THE ISLAND FOUNDATION, SR 3, NOAA, PEW CHARITABLE TRUST, NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES MASSACHUSETTS, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, PACIFIC MAMMAL RESEARCH, MARINE-MED, BLUE PLANET STRATEGIES, STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY, WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION, AND NORTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER. SMELTS HAS 2 VOLUNTEERS ON ITS BOARD CINDY ELLISER PHD. OF PACIFIC MAMMAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION AND STEPHANIE NORMAN DVM, MS, PHD OF MARINE MED ORGANIZATION. SMELTS UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF "ALL HANDS-ON DECK" TO WORK ON A SOLUTION FOR THE ISSUE OF MARINE MAMMAL ENTANGLEMENT AND THE FUTURE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO COMMERCIAL BOTTOM SET FISHING. SMELTS HAS PARTNERED WITH US VENDORS TO PROVIDE AMERICAN COMMERCE AND AN EASY ACCESS TO PARTS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PRODUCE INNOVATIVE LINE LESS LIFT BAG FISHING SYSTEMS. SMELTS HAS SET UP FORMAL PURCHASING ACCOUNTS WITH THESE VENDORS AND HAS HAD SUCCESS IN FINDING ALL PARTS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE ITS SYSTEMS. IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING SMELTS HAS FOUND THAT ITS LINE LESS TECHNOLOGY HAS CAPABILITY FOR MANY APPLICATIONS IN SHALLOW TO DEEP WATERS BY SIMPLE ADJUSTMENTS OF ITS COMPONENT CONFIGURATIONS.THIS YEAR (2023) SMELTS CONTINUED WORK WITH COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN ON THE DESIGN NEEDS FOR THEIR INDUSTRY, USING THIS INFORMATION SMELTS HAS BUILT SEVERAL SETS OF SUCCESSFULLY TESTED WORKING LIFT BAG FISHING TECHNOLOGY, SMELTS HAS CONTINUED TO BUILD COLLABORATIONS WITH SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, FISHERMAN, VENDORS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND OTHER NGO'S.SMELTS TO DATE HAS DEVELOPED AND TESTED SEVERAL DIFFERENT ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS CUSTOMIZED FOR DIFFERENT FISHING INDUSTRY NEEDS. SMELTS USES VIDEO, PICTURES AND WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION TO CAPTURE DATA ON ALL TESTS. BENCH AND OCEAN TESTING ARE DOCUMENTED FROM OUR LAB, RESEARCH VESSEL AND WITH OUR COMMERCIAL FISHING PARTNERS VESSELS. ALL FISHING TRIALS FOLLOW A STRICT SET OF PROTOCOLS DEVELOPED BY (NEFSC). SMELTS TECHNOLOGY HAS ALSO BEEN TESTED TO RETRIEVE ABANDONED, LOST, DERELICT FISHING GEAR WITH SUCCESS. AS PART OF SMELTS' EDUCATION PROGRAM SMELTS CONTINUES PRESENTING OUR WORK AND FINDINGS AT MANY PUBLIC FORUMS AND MEETINGS AND EDUCATING ON THESE ISSUES. SMELTS SHARES DEVELOPMENT AND FINDINGS OF ITS WORK AND ITS EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ON ITS WEBSITE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING AT SMELTS.ORG. SMELTS CONTINUES TO DEVELOP, TEST AND TRIAL ITS INNOVATIVE LIFT BAG FISHING SYSTEMS WITH MANY MORE EXCITING PLANS. SMELTS CONTINUES TO FORGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN TO GIVE A NEW FISHING TOOL FOR ACCESS INTO CLOSED AREAS DUE TO NEGATIVE INTERACTION WITH MARINE LIFE IN VERTICAL LINES.