To recreational anglers, fishing is serious business. At NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Dr. Melissa Monk works with the recreational fleet to collect data needed to fill key gaps in stock assessments. Dr. Monk, a stock assessment scientist, works on data and models to determine how many fish we can sustainably harvest.
Recreational anglers have a wealth of data about the size, species, and location of the fish they catch. But current programs that collect on-the-water information from private boaters face a suite of challenges.
It’s a challenge that one AI company is ready to tackle.
Fishtechy, Inc., is an artificial intelligence–powered fisheries data platform that allows anglers to measure fish quickly and accurately using a smartphone. It was created from the founder, Lawrence Sowell’s personal experience while fishing. “I had caught a fish and was trying to measure it and take a photo, but I realized the process was taking too long and could unnecessarily stress the fish. That moment made me think there had to be a better way to quickly capture accurate measurements while minimizing handling time.”
To solve this problem, he created Fishtechy, Inc. which uses smartphones, AI, and proprietary measurement tools called Proof Balls and Proof Mats to collect standardized, verified data on the fish anglers catch. This creates records that both anglers and scientists can use – while minimizing stressing the fish.
The way it works is that anglers place their catch near a Fishtechy Proof Ball (a small, spherical reference marker), take a picture, and upload it to the Fishtechy app. Because Fishtechy, Inc.’s AI system knows the diameter of the Proof Ball, it can use the marker as a scale reference to calculate fish length accurately from the picture.
Dr. Monk’s office has partnered with Fishtechy, Inc. under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to “explore how this technology can help NOAA collect high-quality, on-the-water data from recreational fishermen,” says Sowell.
The CRADA shows immense promise to marry technology, scientific need, and the enthusiasm of the fishing community to collect data that benefits all parties and has historically been hard to collect. “This is the first real opportunity to collect data from fishermen on the water that will all be stored in one place, and with photos,” says Dr. Monk, “If we can get consistent measurements of fish and move away from collecting data via pencil and paper that is a huge win.”
Sowell thinks that the partnership represents a huge step forward for citizen science and empowering recreational anglers. “What makes this partnership compelling is the idea that everyday fishermen could help contribute meaningful data to fisheries science simply by documenting their catch responsibly,” he says. “[It] highlights how technology can empower anglers to become part of the scientific process while supporting sustainable fisheries.”
Dr. Monk agrees, saying the partnership with Fishtechy, Inc. is one way that NOAA is “actively exploring ways to have [the fishing community] contribute data.” One of the most successful things about the partnership already, she says, is the excitement of the fishing community. “They want to help.”