The U.S. commercial fishing industry supports 1.2 million jobs and produces literally billions of pounds of seafood, but the challenges it faces are equally impressive. Climate change, bycatch, marine mammal interactions, fossil fuel reliance, and the aging of those working in commercial fisheries present serious challenges, some of which can be addressed by technology.
Seafood Harvesters of America, NOAA Fisheries, Conservation X Labs, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, and Alaska Ocean Cluster joined forces in 2021 to survey fishermen around the U.S. to gather their input on technology needs in four categories: sustainability, safety, productivity, and data. The resulting report provides an insightful look at the opportunities that exist to improve and innovate.
Take a look at the report, linked here, to see what the top responses were in each category.