Vónin
It all started in 1969 and today Vónin is a major developer and manufacturer of high quality fishing gear, aquaculture equipment as well as supplying equipment for the land base industry.
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Altura is Vónin’s latest trawl door solution, developed on the same technological platform as the Twister. While the Twister was originally designed for pelagic fishing, Altura has been specifically engineered for semi-pelagic and demersal fishing. Its purpose is to give skippers full control of the trawl doors while improving catch performance, operational efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
A key innovation in Altura is its integrated bottom sonar, which continuously measures the distance to the seabed. This enables the trawl doors to maintain a precise height above the bottom or quickly adapt to changes in seabed profile. As a result, unnecessary seabed contact is reduced, providing a safer and more efficient fishing operation.
The system also allows each trawl door to be controlled independently. This makes it easier to handle strong currents, steep slopes, and challenging seabed conditions. The doors can maintain a consistent depth through turns and other manoeuvres, ensuring better control of both the trawl and the fishing operation.
Altura Smart Doors are built on the same patented shutter system and control system as the Twister. This means the doors can be controlled acoustically while fishing is in progress. Skippers can adjust the door depth and fine-tune their performance during towing without causing significant changes in drag. As a result, they gain greater flexibility to adapt the fishing operation to seabed conditions and the behaviour of the target species, helping to optimize both fishing efficiency and catch performance.
The flexibility of the Altura and Twister doors comes from their advanced shutter system, which regulates the flow of water through the two sets of channels integrated into each door. Every door is equipped with both upper and lower shutters, making it possible to adjust the spreading force as required.
When commands are transmitted from the bridge to the trawl doors, the shutters are activated. They control the amount of water flowing through the channels in the doors, causing them to either rise or descend in the water. This enables the skipper to make rapid and precise adjustments to the position of the doors during fishing operations.
The shutters are a key component of Vónin’s controllable trawl door system and play a crucial role in delivering the flexibility, precision, and efficiency that characterize the Twister concept
One of Altura’s advantages is its potential to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. By keeping the trawl doors clear of the seabed and allowing them to be controlled with a high degree of precision, drag is reduced, making fishing operations more energy-efficient. At the same time, this helps minimize seabed impact, protecting both fishing gear and the marine environment.
Altura represents a significant advancement in demersal fishing. With advanced control capabilities, an integrated bottom sonar, and the proven Twister technology, the system gives crews greater control over the fishing operation, reduces operating costs, and supports more sustainable fishing practices. Altura demonstrates how modern technology can combine fishing efficiency with a stronger commitment to environmental responsibility.
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