eCatch

eCatch is a fisheries logbook tool that allows fishermen to transmit relevant information to the fishing community via their smartphones. Developed by the Nature Conservancy in 2016, the mobile app collects and creates map projections based off of a digitized version of a typical fishing logbook. Information logged includes weather, location, date and time, as well as fishing gear used (including gear type, target strategy, and hooks or pots to name a few). By going virtual, fishermen conquer the age-old problem of inefficient and untimely information dissemination within the industry. Operating on a “give get” principle, users are granted access to a community wide map upon sharing their information on by-catch events to the public; this means that users must share in order to gain access to the community of information. Operating on a mobile application platform, dynamic, real-time data can be projected and shared to the community through heatmaps. Individual data can be modelled to track and forecast catch patterns. The app developers hope to promote community collaboration from non-governmental actors to strengthen management capacities, all while modernizing information systems to support more reduced bycatch and enhanced ocean conservation. 

Categories

Biodiversity, Citizen Science, Data, Ecological Monitoring, Industry/Natural Commodities, Internet of Things, Monitoring, Regulation