A variety of technologies, including Hampiðjan’s DynIce Data cable and the Star Oddi Fish Scanner, were brought together earlier this year to provide a new look at assessing stock, tested for the first time alongside acoustic sampling during one of the winter capelin surveys.
The FishScanner is a plastic ring placed ahead of a trawl’s codend, with twin wide-angle stereo cameras mounted inside the ring. These produce 3D images of the subject, which makes it possible to measure the length of the fish observed, regardless of its distance from the lens.
During the current testing phase onboard research vessel Árni Friðriksson, red light was used, which has less impact on capelin behaviour.
Hampiðjan DynIce Data cable enables image data to be streamed in real time for processing. This real-time analysis saves time in data collection, but also to trains a neural network (AI) to automatically identify and measure the capelin. By using this device alongside echo sounder measurements, the accuracy of the analysis can be improved.
The first results of the test were promising and suggest that the technology could lead to more accurate echo sounder measurements by seeing what is entering the trawl at each location and depth and what the composition of the catch in real-time is in terms of age or species.
This initiative demonstrates how cooperation between research institutions and high-tech companies can lead to innovations that improve both research and commercial fisheries. With further development, implementing this technology in commercial fishing is expected to be possible in the near future, which will further enhance the knowledge of the biological characteristics of the ocean while also improving the accuracy of fishing and saving time and energy.
The FishScanner was developed by Star Oddi and the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute in collaboration with Hampiðjan. It was funded by the Rannís Technology Development Fund.
