Abstract:

In this issue of MedFAR, Spotlight corner introduces SMARTFISH H2020 project. The SMARTFISH H2020 is funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Program under grant agreement No. 77352. The project is coordinated by Dr. Bent Herrmann (SINTEF Ocean in Norway). It is a four-years project which started in January 2018. The objective of the project is to develop, test and promote a suite of high-tech systems for the EU fishing sector, to optimize resource efficiency, to improve automatic data collection for fish stock assessment, to provide evidence of compliance with fishery regulations and to reduce ecological impact. SMARTFISH H2020 exploits technological developments in machine vision, camera technology, data processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data analysis, smartphones/tablets, LED technology, acoustics and ROV technology to build systems for monitoring, analysing and improving processes for all facets of the fishing sector, from extraction, to assessment, to monitoring and control. The SMARTFISH H2020 systems will: - assist fishermen in making informed decisions during pre-catch, catching, and post-catch phases of the extraction process. This improves catch efficiencies and compositions in fisheries across the EU, leading to improved economic efficiency while reducing unintended fish mortality, unnecessary fishing pressure and ecosystem damage. - provide new data for stock assessment from commercial fishing and improve the quality and quantity of data that comes from traditional assessment surveys. This provides more accurate assessment of currently assessed stocks and allow the assessment of data-poor stocks. - permit the automatic collection of catch data to ensure compliance with fisheries management regulations. An interdisciplinary consortium with technology developers and instrument suppliers, fishing companies, research and fisheries management institutes and universities will realize SMARTFISH H2020. They are active at national and international levels and well placed to ensure the uptake of SMARTFISH H2020 systems by fishing industry and fisheries managers and stock assessment scientists. Gear technologists from Mersin University, Fisheries Faculty and Çukurova University, Fisheries Faculty participate in the project, to test, demonstrate and promote SMARTFISH H2020 systems in the Mediterranean and Black Sea purse seine and demersal trawl fisheries.  For further information, please visit: http://smartfishh2020.eu/

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