A Nelson-based company is developing commercial fishing boats that can operate without crew on board, controlled remotely from shore.
Maidenfleet aims to have prototypes operating within five years. The vessels would use automated systems to handle critical tasks on board and operate the boat itself, reducing the requirement for workers to be physically at sea. While crewless boats are deployed for ocean research and surveillance work, they are not being used to catch fish.
Chief executive Dan Burrows, who previously built boats, including superyachts in the Middle East, and worked in high performance racing with SailGP Technologies, said the approach could address pressures facing the inshore fishing industry. "Our technology is designed to reduce the industry's dependence on crew by automating a number of harvesting and vessel functions that are becoming increasingly difficult to staff," he said.
Burrows said eliminating onboard accommodation and safety features for people would free up space. Fishing boats can devote as much as 50% of their interior to crew quarters and amenities. The company's prototype designs look entirely different to traditional fishing boats, Burrows said: "If you think sort of stealth military technology, think F-35 fighters but on the water, it kind of looks like that."
Burrows conceived the idea during the Covid-19 pandemic while working in Auckland's composites industry. He has financed development from his own resources and established a marine maintenance firm, Shipwright Services, in Nelson. The business handles marine carpentry, composite repairs, structural work, interior fit-outs and finishing.
On job displacement concerns, Burrows said shore-based roles would offset losses at sea. "I just tell people, when was the last time technology ever removed any jobs? It might take two jobs off a boat, but we're going to create five on shore, so it's that old chestnut," he said.