The U.K. government is hoping that a new GBP 10 million (USD 12.5 million, EUR 11.1 million) research and development fund will boost innovation in the country’s fishing and seafood sectors.
According to the government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) paves the way for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by fishermen and provides a potential double return on investment for the U.K. economy.
With the fishing industry contributing around GBP 1.4 billion (USD 1.7 billion, EUR 1.6 billion) to the country’s economy and employing over 24,000 people, DEFRA said there is “huge opportunity” for innovation to improve the technology available across the sector.
Unlike existing funding programs, SIF will focus on delivering longer-term, cutting-edge innovation.
DEFRA said that U.K. businesses are already developing satellite technology and virtual watch rooms to track vessel movements, and integrating lighting into fishing nets to reduce unwanted catch and improve efficiency. But with the global fishing industry worth nearly GBP 300 billion (USD 374.1 billion, EUR 333.4 billion), it believes the new fund will encourage further technological development and unlock export opportunities around the world for U.K. technology pioneers.
“This government is investing record amounts in research and development, with this GBP 10 million fund further driving U.K. innovation,” said Michael Gove, U.K. environment secretary. “As the UK establishes itself as an independent coastal state, the Seafood Innovation Fund will bring together our world-leading fishing, seafood, and technology industries to deliver more sustainable and productive fisheries for the future.”
Dr. Joanna Cox, head of policy at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said the fund was a “call to action” for fishermen and engineers to work together to bring forward sustainable and productive solutions at scale to the industry’s greatest challenges.
“Technology continues to deliver transformational change across the food sector, for instance, boosting the U.K. farming sector through AI and robotics. We welcome the secretary of state’s announcement and urge the U.K. engineering community to apply the same pioneering zeal to positively impact the U.K.’s seafood industries through this GBP 10 million Seafood Innovation Fund,” she said.
DEFRA said that opportunities for innovation will cover all parts of the seafood sector, from catch techniques and fish feed to the management of fisheries. It highlighted that possible examples of areas that could receive funding include:
- Minimizing unwanted catches and monitoring catches – innovations to fishing gear to reduce environmental impact and better capturing of real-time catch data to avoid unwanted catches and sensitive species.
- Sorting and processing of catch – automation of landed catch, improving animal welfare and leading to a higher survival rate for discarded fish.
- Information for fisheries management – improved data available for fishing vessels and regulators to enable better decision making on the future management of fishing stocks.
- Advances in sustainable aquaculture – innovation around compensatory aquaculture whereby waste from one form of aquaculture provides a food source and nutrients for another type.
U.K. government minister Lord Duncan said, “The fishing and seafood sectors are vital to many of Scotland’s communities and help to support thousands of jobs across the country. The U.K. government’s Seafood Innovation Fund is helping to support the industry with the technology needed to improve environmentally sustainable fishing practices while streamlining costs.
“By contributing to research and development in the sector, the U.K. government is looking after the industry’s long-term interests and supporting Scotland’s economy.”
The delivery of the fund will be overseen by an executive board, including representatives from the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It will be delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), with oversight from DEFRA using money from the Chancellor’s National Productivity Investment Fund.
