NorFishing is a key networking event in Norway for the fisheries sector and SINTEF, an OptiFish Partner, took the opportunity to promote the project.
The event took place in Trondheim, Norway from August 20th to 22nd, 2024 and attracted 15,000 to 20,000 attendees from over eighty countries and featured exhibitors from 50 nations.

Focus on the future of fisheries and marine sustainability
NorFishing highlights innovation and technology in the fishing industry. The exhibition was accompanied by a conference showcasing the latest developments in science and research. The event also featured the prestigious Innovation Award, which was presented to Ava Ocean for its groundbreaking work.
The conference covered various thematic areas, including co-existence, sustainable coastal societies, prospects, and key governance and resource extraction challenges. The discussions were optimistic, emphasising technology and innovation as solutions to industry challenges.
The event highlighted the importance of collaboration between fishers, researchers, governance bodies, and technology developers. Such collaborations are vital for the future sustainability of the fishing sector across Europe, in line with global governance obligations such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Projects such as OptiFish will use AI and advanced technology to enhance fishing sustainability

Projects like EVERYFISH and OptiFish, which use sensors, lasers, digital twins, algorithms, and models, were highlighted as examples of the industry’s potential to overcome future obstacles.
Automatic catch registration was identified as a crucial tool for ensuring sufficient data on fish, which is essential for quota advice and sustainable fishery management. Automating this process can also reduce the workload for the fishing sector, making it more efficient. Additionally, it can help address knowledge gaps that contribute to uncertainty around quota distributions between states and different vessel sizes within a given country.
Chief Scientist Rachel Tiller from SINTEF, an OptiFish Partner, delivered a presentation on Automatic Catch Registration as a tool for ensuring fisheries data for biodiversity protection, aligning with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and SDG14. During her talk, she introduced the OptiFish and EVERYFISH projects to the audience.
OptiFish, having the support of various European fisheries authorities, aims to develop tools to provide data on catch volumes, species recognition, and fishing environment. The goal is to reduce waste and unreported fishing activities and establish a modern fisheries control system.
* Written by Rachel Tiller
** Photos by Rachel Tiller & Hanne Hjelle Hatlebrekke

Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.