An automatic fishing machine based on acoustic conditioning

Abstract An automatic fishing machine based on acoustic conditioning was developed and tested in a reservoir. The floating fishing machine is remotely and automatically controlled to operate an underwater speaker, a feeder and underwater cameras that monitor fish behavior in real time. An open net pen installed under the system can be automatically closed to capture gathering fish. The dynamics of fish populations in the open net pen was monitored and discussed. Fish were conditioned to associate an acoustic signal with food by classical conditioning. Periodic retraining was used to reinforce the conditioned behavior of fish freely swimming in the reservoir. Fish were captured by calling them to the fishing machine using the acoustic signal and automatically closing the net pen around them: 2.5 times more fish were captured in such capture events than in control events, in which the net pen was automatically closed without calling the fish.