Fisherman’s Exposure to the Noise Emitted by a Prototype of an On-Board Rotating Sorting Machine for Clams (Chamelea Gallina)

In clam fishing, the efficiency in selecting the commercial size depends on fisherman’s ability and on-board equipment functionality. Therefore, it is essential to increase the efficiency of the selection equipment. On this purpose, an innovative sorting machine was realized, less impacting on the clams to be selected, benthic fauna and operators’ health. Unlike traditional machines, the new one is not based on vibrations. It consists of two rotating drums provided with holes and spacing of different sizes. A series of spray washes gently cleans the clams removing the sand and the undersized juvenile that are directly thrown back into the sea. Thereby, the stress on the clams is significantly reduced and, at the same time, the conditions of comfort, safety and health protection of the operators are improved. In light of this, in the present work, the emitted levels of noise were measured under normal conditions of use in one day work, as specified by Italian law (Legislative Decree 81/08) and according to the ISO 1999:2013 standard, with both conventional and innovative sorting machine mounted on two boats that fished in parallel on the northern coast of Abruzzo (Adriatic Sea, Italy).