Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based fisher advocacy organization The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) has won a USD 485,000 (EUR 422,719) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to support AI-driven electronic monitoring (EM) efforts for Alaska fixed gear fishers.
The project will involve utilizing the FishVue AI tool created by British Columbia, Canada-based Archipelago Marine Research, as well as a partnership with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), to monitor Alaska sablefish and halibut in fixed gear fisheries.
ALFA Policy Coordinator Lauren Howard said that the “project aims to increase efficiency and lower the fleet’s overall observer costs.”
It also addresses fisher ffedback gathered by the organization, she said..
“Many small-boat fishermen prefer EM systems over human observers, so increasing the usefulness and effectiveness of EM should have direct benefits to our members and Alaska’s fixed gear fleet in general,” Howard said.
Archipelago President and CEO Gord Snell added that the project marks a "major step forward" in the relationship between his firm and ALFA.
“For over a decade, ALFA and Archipelago have worked side by side to build practical, effective monitoring programs," he said. "This project will expand the use of Archipelago’s industry-leading FishVue AI technology to over 300 vessels in North America and ensure that modern monitoring tools are not just theoretical; they are actively supporting fishing communities and improving fisheries management in Alaska.”
PSMFC Senior Program Manager Caren Brady said that the project will also “improve the efficiency of electronic monitoring video review.”
“Efficiencies we gain through use of AI protocols could lead to improved cost-effectiveness and faster turnaround times for video review, which then would open up the possibilities to apply this EM technology to more vessels and additional fisheries sectors. Effective monitoring is a key to sustainable fisheries and our ability to fish for generations to come,” Brady said.
ALFA, Archipelago, and PSMFC have all already worked with Gulf of Alaska sablefish and halibut fixed gear fishers on implementing EM and will be soliciting fishers who already use EM systems to participate in the program.
To that end, Howard emphasized that in order for the project to work as intended, fisher consent is essential.
“If you are a fisherman who participates in EM for the sablefish or halibut fishery ... your participation in this project through regulatory data release is paramount to the project’s success," she said.
ALFA will also partner with Canada-based AI company OnDeck AI, which also recently received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to build a Universal Species ID tool.
The project accords with the goals outlined in U.S. President Donald Trump’s 23 January executive order, titled “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” as well as with NOAA’s Fisheries Electronic Technology Implementation Plan 2021-25, which highlights a goal of implementing integrated machine learnings and artificial intelligence into onboard electronic monitoring.
