Fisheries management
Cost-effective operations and traceability
Collecting good data is key to determining sustainable fishing levels. MVT aims to make substantial change to sustainability practices and consumer perceptions across the entire seafood industry.
Sustainable fishing is both a mandated objective of modern fisheries and an expectation of our communities. The monitoring and collection of data on targeted fish catch and unintended bycatch is necessary to meet sustainability objectives. However currently, it is time consuming, expensive, and dangerous.
In Australia and globally, electronic monitoring using cameras is replacing human observers on fishing vessels, resulting in large amounts of data being analysed manually. MVT products being developed address this issue by reviewing footage automatically. It has the potential to analyse 100 per cent of fishing operations at a highly reduced cost.
The technology is being trialled on targeted catches, particularly tunas, in high-seas fisheries to ensure resource sustainability. As the system develops, we will have an operational system to help managers and scientists use the data to better understand stock status of fish populations and initiate timely interventions and compliance measures to ensure sustainable seafood stocks and supply chains.
With our ever-growing demand for food, MVT can inform global fishing operations and keep our fisheries resources in good health.
Watch how MVT can make a difference to fisheries management:
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Global seafood sustainability in modern fisheries is essential.
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It is also an expectation of our communities.
[Camera zooms in on the fishing boat and the image shows data lines radiating out from the ship and then the image shows rain and dollar signs falling around the ship]
But to achieve sustainability we need data. Unfortunately collecting fisheries data is expensive and at times dangerous.
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So, cameras are replacing humans as the collectors of fishing data on vessels.
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Whilst more efficient, this leads to more hours of video than can be scrutinized.
[Animation image shows the camera panning along the computer screen showing the different types of fish and text appears: Whiting]
Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning now allow these recordings to be analysed quickly and cheaply.
[Animation image shows an inset box displaying CSIRO data and text appears: AI Training, When – 05/09/19, Type – Whiting, Count – 50]
At CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, we are training software to identify when a fish is caught, what type of fish is caught, and how many are caught.
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This information helps scientists set sustainable annual catches, and it provides a better understanding of fishing impacts on the marine ecosystem.
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For example, it will soon help manage unwanted bycatch of grenadier in the Sub-Antarctic.
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With innovation and technology, we can solve the greatest challenges facing Australian fisheries and provide assurances of their sustainability now and into the future.
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