Desie Heita
30 September 2008
Sea tragedies in the fishing industry that have claimed so many Namibian lives in the recent past inspired a Namibian entrepreneur to invent a product that to date has been patented and received worldwide international recognition.
This is the first patented industrial invention by a Namibian since independence. The product, called MAL Lifeline, is a life-saving piece of equipment for fishing vessels and any other boats at sea, and is suitable for water treatment plants or water dams as well. The maritime industry, both mining and fishing, has so far received the product well.
Lüderitz-based Mias De Roubaix, the inventor of the product, lost his best friend on one of the fishing vessels that sank in the Atlantic Ocean off the Lüderitz coast, five years ago. The lifebuoy aboard the fishing vessel did not have a tow-in line attached and hence could not be thrown out to rescue the drowning fishermen.
Fishing vessels and boats are required to have lifebuoys aboard with tow-in line attached at all times but often fishermen cut off the tow-in line to use for other purposes, rendering the lifebuoy useless.
Such a realisation prompted De Roubaix to invent a product that would safeguard the tow-in line and is easy to use in case of emergencies, and turned his home's garage into a workshop.
However, the humble De Roubaix insists his invention is a gift from the Lord and not something sparked by the loss of his friend.
"The Lord is the one who gave us the gift of brains. Ultimately, that is from whom everything comes," said De Roubaix who exhibited his invention at the SME Exhibition in Windhoek last week.
The MAL Lifeline is a container holding the tow-in line. The container stores the rope, keeps the rope tidy and as a result, one person can deploy the lifebuoy in between 17 to 20 seconds.
This makes the MAL Lifeline favourable compared to 13 minutes of deployment for a conventional tow-in line on a lifebuoy.
The other big advantage is the cost saving from unnecessary replacement of cut-off tow-in lines.
The product has thus far received compliance from the International Standard Organisation (ISO 9001:2000) on Quality Management System Standard, and conforms to the International Maritime Organisation's Safety of Life at Sea Convention, and the Life Saving Appliances Code. The Namibian Ministry of Works and Transport has also recommended the use of the MAL Lifeline on Namibian vessels.
Before turning inventor, De Roubaix worked as salesperson for maritime industrial products.
De Roubaix has also invented a 'Bait Tube' ideal for fishing vessels fishing for crayfish. The tube is economical and helps save two-thirds of the bait compared to conventional catching methods.
Fishing vessels use net traps having a big hole where the bait is stuffed to attract crayfish into the trap. Often, however, the rough seas wash the bait out and the fishermen have to re-stuff the trap with other bait. With the Tube Bait, the bait is secured in a sealed tube with holes that cannot be washed out of the net.
Asked whether he would sell his inventions De Roubaix said: "No. I will keep them for my family."
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