On November 22, we hosted a collaborative webinar with EVERYFISH, Fish-X, and OptiFish, bringing together project coordinators and participants to discuss innovative solutions for sustainable fisheries. These Horizon Europe projects are driving change, leveraging advanced technologies, and fostering stakeholder engagement to transform fisheries management across Europe. The webinar highlighted their progress, shared insights, and explored the opportunities arising from the digital transformation of fisheries.
EVERYFISH: Engaging stakeholders for innovation
Rachel Tiller and Hanne Hjelle Hatlebrekke from SINTEF Ocean opened the session by introducing the EVERYFISH project, which commenced in January 2023. They highlighted the technologies developed so far, focusing on the potential benefits these innovations can offer to fishers.
A big part of the EVERYFISH project is stakeholder involvement, which has been actively fostered through workshops designed to bridge the gaps between science, industry, and management. This presentation emphasised the importance of a bottom-up approach to increase stakeholder engagement and to be able to take their views, worries, and ideas into consideration. While the workshops are ongoing, the preliminary results show that commercial fishers often approach these new technologies with skepticism and harbour many concerns. However, attitudes shifted positively when it was explained that the advanced technologies could streamline or replace current reporting systems. This shows again how important it is to communicate with one another to reduce misunderstandings and foster collaboration.
To learn more about this project, visit the EVERYFISH website or contact the project coordinator Rachel Tiller directly ().
Fish-X: Empowering Small-Scale Fisheries through Data
Next up, Jana Stünkel, Fish-X Coordinator from TransMarTech SH, talked us through how Fish-X aims to establish a European Fisheries Data Space through a consultative and collaborative approach. This project launched in June 2022, runs until May 2025 and focuses on the importance of Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF). This sector experiences a lack of exhaustive economic, social, and territorial data on SSF, which makes a proper assessment and management of the sector difficult.
To address the challenges faced by Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) and capitalise on emerging opportunities, Fish-X is developing a framework for an open, secure, and interoperable digital platform for a seafood supply chain centered around the fishers. This platform will include a Fish-X Data Space so that data sources from different fisheries stakeholders are connected and shared according to the requirements of both the data provider and user. Additionally, it will include an Insight Platform which is the cartographic user interface of the dataspace, and a traceability platform that will enable a transparent and comprehensive mapping of a seafood product from harvest to sale. The main goal of these MVPs is to empower EU Small-Scale Fisheries by allowing them to enhance their visibility while safeguarding their personal rights, and enabling fair data acquisition, storage, and exchange. Stakeholder engagement is a critical part of Fish-X’s development process. Workshops, trainings, information meetings, and direct interactions with fishers allow the project to address real-world needs and challenges.
Jana finished her presentation by showcasing the first version of the Insight Platform, developed by Fish-X partner CLS. This early version offers an impression of how the final version will eventually look like by already displaying some of the data collected by the installed VMS devices in the Fish-X use cases.
If you would like to have more insights into this project, visit the Fish-X website or contact the project coordinator Jana Stünkel directly ().
OptiFish: Advancing digital catch monitoring and reporting
The OptiFish project was presented by Project Coordinator Els Torreele and Project Manager Jade Maes, who began by situating the project and explaining the broader challenges of digital catch monitoring and reporting in European fisheries. OptiFish aims to address key obstacles by developing advanced technologies tailored to a diverse range of fisheries.
Different advanced technologies will be developed throughout the project duration which will be tested in a range of different fisheries on board fishing vessels with distinctly different catch handling facilities. Five types of fisheries have been identified to ensure a diversity of fishing methods and sorting arrangements on board, and consequently, issues that need to be addressed. The five pilot studies have also been identified to cover a broad geographical area, ensuring that automatic species recognition can be developed for commercial, non-commercial, and PET species throughout Europe.
Of course, integrating advanced technologies into daily operations is far from a simple task; while it promises significant benefits, it also presents considerable challenges. The presentation highlighted some of these benefits that will bring more opportunities for all types of fisheries, such as sustainable fisheries management, climate change adaptation, improved efficiency, and enhanced regulatory compliance. This emphasises the fact that these technologies offer immense potential for European fisheries to enhance sustainability, efficiency, and compliance with environmental regulations. However, the path to integration is not without its challenges. Resistance to change, high costs, and technological gaps are significant barriers, and addressing these challenges is essential for widespread adoption. It is crucial that governments, NGOs, and industry stakeholders start collaborating on funding, training, and infrastructure developments to help fisheries integrate artificial intelligence successfully. To conclude, Els highlighted the OptiFish Academy, emphasising that this Horizon Europe project aims to go beyond proof-of-concept to achieve operational readiness levels.
In conclusion, these three projects go beyond technological innovation; they embody a bold and transformative vision for the future of fisheries. Together they align with global commitments, deliver scalable and inclusive solutions, and harness digital transformation. These initiatives represent a significant leap forward in aligning fisheries management with global sustainability priorities, paving the way for a more resilient and equitable industry. This webinar served as a powerful reminder of the pivotal role innovation plays in shaping a sustainable future for fisheries. Let’s keep collaborating to transform these visions into reality!
Catch the full webinar here!