More than 2,000 computing experts from around the world recently competed for cash prizes offered on their ability to solve a problem vexing fishing and ocean sustainability experts and organizations.
The third annual “Fishackathon,” which took place starting on Earth Day, 22 April and finished 24 April, was hosted by the U.S. State Department, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Young’s Seafood, Welsh ecological consultancy Salacia-Marine and the Billfish Foundation. It offered USD 10,000 (EUR 8,800) to participants able to develop a technology that could reliably distinguish between different species of commercial fish pictured in photographs.
Teams in 44 cities around the globe participated in the contest and regional finalists were chosen 24 April. Contest organizers are hopeful to find a solution that, when combined with an app developed at last year’s event that provides accurate, remote fish measurement, will allow scientists to collect credible data from on-board cameras without requiring manual measurement of fish size.
“A fundamental measurement we need is the length of the fish being caught. This gives us an indication of age and, together with data on how many fish are being taken from the water, we can use it to derive a range of other important statistics which can help us manage fisheries more sustainably,” said Salacia-Marine founder Andy Woolmer. “At the moment this data is available for less than half the global catch. Traditionally, we’ve relied on measuring fish by hand at sea, which is time-consuming and expensive. If the Fishackathon can come up with a solution to our problem, it has the potential to transform our knowledge of fish stocks around the world.”
A panel of judges is in the process of evaluating all projects submitted during the competition. The winning team will be selected 8 June, to coincide with World Oceans Day. The winning team’s project will be funded and developed with assistance from the U.S. State Department, according to a press release.
“WWF is working with the fishing industry to help identify solutions to some of the problems faced in achieving sustainable fisheries. By putting this problem forward to the Fishakathon with industry partners, we hope the hackers can help us find a solution that’s not just applicable in the U.K., but across the world,” said Lyndsey Dodds, head of marine policy at WWF-U.K.
