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Lanon Wee

The Cost & Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Fishing Technology

It's 5 o'clock on a Monday morning at Largs Boat Harbour, located on Scotland's west coast. Despite the fact that the sun has yet to rise, the rain is intensifying. Ian Whiteman is already out on the water, since every minute is critical during the next 12 hours. He has been fishing for langoustines every day for the past 40 years. If Mr Whiteman's net isn't working correctly, there are unwelcome creatures in the haul or the water quality changes, this could cause delays in shipments to clients, and this could mean lost revenue for him. As he sees the sun appear above the horizon, he guides his vessel along the River Clyde. He must next place his boat in the correct position and ready the net. Prior to putting the net in the water, Ian connected lights, cameras, and sensors to it. He is testing out gadgets from SafetyNet Technologies, meant to help fishermen comprehend what is going on in the depths of the water and decrease bycatch. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) affirms that bycatch is the accidental capture of fish and other creatures such as dolphins and sea turtles in fishing equipment. On many occasions, the bycatch which is caught is discarded back into the ocean, with the creatures usually having already passed away or in the process of dying. "According to Alison Cross, director of fishery sustainability at the WWF, such a reduction in ocean health and resilience can impair ecosystems' capacity to combat difficult circumstances,". Mr Whiteman is making use of a device with LED lights which attract specific species of fish, while keeping away undesirable mammals, such as dolphins. Mr Whiteman also goes squid fishing, and the lights aid in attracting them to the net. He remarks, "This increases the yield and efficiency of fishing." Others have conducted experiments using different lighting equipment. Researchers from Arizona State University conducted a study that involved Mexican fishermen in the Sea of Cortez. It revealed that illuminated lights led to a decrease of 63% in the average bycatch and also reduced the duration it took for them to extract and disentangle nets by approximately an hour. Ms Cross and the WWF have implemented trials of coloured LED lights in cooperation with fishermen from multiple countries with the goal of preventing sea life from becoming entangled in fishing nets. The WWF are employing LED's originating from Good Machine, a San Francisco-based business. According to their research, green lights are the most effective in keeping sea turtles from getting ensnared. The WWF seeks to ascertain the best light spacing to ensure a balance between keeping turtles free from entanglement and making the lights financially reasonable. is getting increasingly complicated. Business technology is becoming more and more complex. Ms Cross thinks the lights are a great benefit for both the ocean environment and the fishing industry. She states that since the introduction of lights, bycatch has decreased which has allowed fishermen to spend less time in the ocean and use less fuel. This has resulted in an increase of income for them. Despite the success noted, there is uncertainty as to whether the fishing industry will accept the technology. Akbar Digdo, the chief executive of a non-profit organisation that promotes the use of technology to bring about greener practices among Indonesian communities, views the device as really good, however he believes the price is not competitive and readily available to the locals. Mr Digdo has conducted trials of the SafetyNet lights with fishermen in West Java. He states that combining this technology with a financial plan is important in order to allow easier access. Mr Whiteman employs the use of the Catch-Cam, a camera attached to his fishing net that allows him to view what is occurring beneath the surface with the help of an app. Prior to acquiring the camera, Mr Whiteman asserted it would take three to four days to ascertain whether the network was producing the greatest possible results. Nevertheless, now, it takes only one day. He states that it has eliminated the need for speculation, and has revealed a large amount of data which was previously unknown. Mr Whiteman makes use of Enki, a data collection system, to measure pressure, depth, and temperature underwater. Once away from the water, the unit will shut down and transmit the data to cloud computing systems in remote locations. These systems then process and store the information in data centres, which can be accessed by fishermen. Mr Whiteman states that it is an incredibly economical method of collecting data from vessels. Sifting through the items he had caught, Mr Whiteman was glad with the results of the morning's effort. "It's clear how few bycatch there is," the fisherman comments, as he removes only three undesired fish amid the langoustine. He states that all resources are being used in the most efficient manner, with no waste of fuel, time, or effort. Further information on this story can be obtained by watching BBC Click.

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