WWF-New Zealand: New Tech Is A Win-Win For Conservation And Fisheries | Scoop News – Scoop

Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 6:51 pmPress Release: WWF New Zealand

New Zealands inshore fisheries and marine conservationis about to fundamentally change with the rollout of camerason boats.

Today, the Ministry for Primary Industries(MPI) announced that Spark will be the vendor to implementelectronic monitoring. This initiative will help securesustainability of our fisheries through a combination ofstate-of-the-art cameras, software, and, in a world-leadingfirst, unprecedented applications of Artificial Intelligenceand Machine Learning (AI/ML).

Spark is a new playerto this space and we are interested in seeing what they willcontribute to what has been a relatively closed market. Itgives Aotearoa a bigger chance to punch above its weight inthe technology space, and lead the Pacific towards greatersustainability and transparency in fisheries, says BubbaCook, Western & Central Pacific Tuna Programme Managerfor WWF-New Zealand.

This technology is relativelynew, represents a significant operational change in ourfisheries, and proposes to introduce a new era in fisheriesmanagement and sustainability.

We believe cameraswill not only have a huge, beneficial impact on marineconservation efforts, but its also likely to createsubstantial benefits for the industry, as well. First, itwill level the playing field and require all vessels to besubject to the same rules and regulations. Second, it givesgreater insight into the amount and type of species caughtleading to better fisheries management. Lastly, with greatertransparency and traceability, fishers can definitivelydemonstrate to consumers their products were caughtsustainably and ethically, continues BubbaCook.

For the last five years, MPI has been engaged ina comprehensive outreach and consultation effort with allconcerned stakeholders who will be affected by thischange.

Bubba Cook explains, As participants inthis process, we can say with confidence that it was amethodical, inclusive, and supportive approach to ensure allvoices have been heard. While change can be daunting to anyindustry, there is an opportunity here for the industry tocapitalise on the ability to show consumers how, where, andby whom their seafood is produced.

Cameras on Boatsis the vital next step towards creating a fully transparentseafood supply chain. It will give our fishers the sociallicence to prove its reputation of accountability,responsibility, andsustainability.

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WWF-New Zealand: New Tech Is A Win-Win For Conservation And Fisheries | Scoop News - Scoop