WHAT IS ‘SMARTRAWL’?

This project takes the next steps in intelligent fishing, developing and testing at sea our patented technology to allow in-water identification and grading of fish by species and size.

PROJECT ACTIVITY

About FIS Smartrawl

Smartrawl is an in-water sorting device with three components: a stereo camera, taking images of fish and other animals in the trawl; an AI computer using to determine species and size of animals; and a gate controlled by the computer to retain valuable fish or release unwanted catch.

Smartrawl at COP28

COP28 in Dubai, held from 30 Nov to 12 Dec 2023, brought together global leaders and visionaries seeking sustainable solutions for a changing world. For Smartrawl, the conference was a pivotal moment. The team were delighted to have a stand where they could showcase the story of Smartrawl to a global audience, and unveil the remarkable journey of Smartrawl to date in this video (left). It highlights key milestones of the project and shares action shots of the nets being trialled off Shetland. King Charles also attended the UNs’ Climate Change Conference, where a picture of him was captured examining a model of the Smartrawl – see the moment here!

News

Since 2015, FIS has supported Smartrawl inventor, Professor Paul Fernandes of Heriot-Watt University, to develop and test the system at sea with commercial fishing vessels. Smartrawl has recently been in the news, having secured funding from the UK Seafood Innovation Fund to take the next steps in trialling Smartrawl at sea.

Project Timeline

PHASE 1

FIS011 introduced the Smartrawl concept of an innovative trawl design with a stereo camera to identify and size fish in the trawl extension, and a gate to release unwanted catch. The report was completed in 2017 and is available on the FIS website.

PHASE 2

FIS024 developed the stereo camera system and gate prototype and began collecting stereoscopic images to understand how fish appear in the trawl. This phase ran from June 2018 to Spring 2020, see the project report here.

PHASE 2.5

FIS received Scottish Government grant funding to progress specific components of Smartrawl by acquiring, adapting and testing a second stereo camera and the underwater modem to transfer data from the camera to the bridge of a trawler. The report is available to read here.

PHASE 3

FIS034 optimised the unique gate mechanism and began underwater image analysis. Read the project report here .

PHASE 4

FIS040, funded by the Scottish Government’s Marine Fund Scotland, started to bring the components of the system together in field testing. View the Phase 4.0 report here.

PHASE 5

Phase 5 of the Smartrawl project, funded by the UK Seafood Innovation Fund, is testing the patented gate system at sea and enhancing the AI database. Read more here.

PROJECT GALLERY