Design, Development, and Testing of an Autonomous Boat to Reduce Predatory Birds on Aquaculture Ponds

Abstract

A small robotic autonomous boat was designed for the purpose of protecting fish from predatory birds on aquaculture ponds. The boat is completely self-sufficient and can remain permanently on a farm pond using only solar power for energy, a microcontroller for directional control and object detection, and the shoreline for confinement area. Bird removal and consequential fish protection is provided by the continued movement and presence of the boat on the surface of the pond. Testing of the boat on a 0.4 ha pond in southern Louisiana indicated that it had a BAIR (bird area influence rate) of 0.54ha per hour. When tested for bird removal qualities on a 0.6 ha pond, results indicated that cormorants were reduced by 85% and wading birds by 70% per hour. Mechanical operation of the boat was good, with only two minor breakdowns during a one-month period of continuous use, but more solar power is desired to increase the working time of the boat during late fall and winter periods. This alternative approach to bird scaring is capable of environmentally friendly reduction of predatory birds on small fish farm ponds and has been proven to be mechanically feasible for aquaculture ponds of 1 ha or less. It may be useful on minnow ponds and other larger bodies of water with proper redesign, scaling, and deployment of the boats.