Artificial Intelligence dramatically improves our world in many ways. AI solutions proved to be effective in dealing with simple, monotonous tasks but also with more complex activities — those requiring processing of multiple signals, data streams and accumulated knowledge.
AI is now arriving even to the fishing business. A Spanish company, called Satlink has big ambitions regarding the employment of AI in tracking fishing activity.
Since its creation in 1992, Satlink has maintained a commitment to research, innovation, and development in the field of satellite telecommunications. The company developed a monitoring system called SeaTube that is able to track fishing activity. SeaTube is a video recording solution service installed on board vessels, allowing fishing companies to control and optimize the fishing activity on their boats.
Now, the next big step for Satlink is bringing AI to their successful monitoring system. The company has big plans in this direction and according to them, AI is capable of revolutionizing fishing. Satlink is confident that being able to analyze video data from their monitoring system will very much help the observation and optimization of fishing activities.
Fishermen are unhappy
However, immediate reactions from fishermen show that they are skeptical and oppose the idea of employment of AI in fishing.
Even if it can be technically explained (and that’s not always the case), AI’s decision-making process is usually too difficult for most people to understand. A thing that De la Cal, Satlink’s international business development manager pointed out: “Initially, companies are reluctant to use the technology, but when it’s explained, they get why they need it”.
The conservation of fish stocks and sustainable development are of primary interest. Both sides (fishermen and Satlink’s managers) agree on this, but however, take opposite views on the whole idea of AI tracking fishing activities.
Anyways, it is almost certain that AI will arrive in the fishing business. The question that remains is how well and how fast will companies and fishermen adopt the technology. And this will directly influence the impact that AI will have on the whole fishing business.
