Gear Technology

TIME TENSION LINE CUTTER

The Time/Tension Line Cutter (TTLC) is a knotless line cutting device that
is located at the juncture of the trap/anchor and the lower end of the vertical line. It is not a weak link. Rather, it is a release link that accumulates the amount and duration of endline tension, whether it comes from the loads associated with normal fishing practices or that of entangled marine mammals. If and when the preset time and tension thresholds are exceeded, the device will sever the endline from the bottom gear, thus freeing an entangled marine animal quickly and avoiding serious injury and mortality.

The TTLC was developed and evaluated by the collaborative research efforts of Blue Water Concepts, Inc. (Project PI), Dr. Ken Baldwin of the UNH Ocean Engineering Program and the Maine Lobstermen's Association. The project has been supported by a number of organizations including the Northeast Consortium and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.

A detailed video demonstrating the operation and rigging of the TTLC can be seen below.